Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics

Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics is an outdated idea suggesting that traits an organism develops during its lifetime—like a blacksmith’s strong arms or a giraffe stretching its neck—can be passed on to its offspring. For example, if a parent gains muscle from working out, their children might inherit stronger muscles. Modern genetics shows that traits are inherited through genes, which are passed from parents to offspring, rather than changes acquired during life. This concept was popularized by Lamarck but has been replaced by the understanding of genetic inheritance through DNA.