Acquired characteristics - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about Acquired characteristics Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,884,647,882 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

acquired character
(redirected from Acquired characteristics)

    Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.

acquired character

Feature of the body that develops during the lifetime of an individual, usually as a result of repeated use or disuse, such as the enlarged muscles of a weightlifter.

French naturalist Jean Baptiste Lamarck's theory of evolution assumed that acquired characters were passed from parent to offspring. Modern evolutionary theory does not recognize the inheritance of acquired characters because there is no reliable scientific evidence that it occurs, and because no mechanism is known whereby bodily changes can influence the genetic material. The belief that this does not occur is known as central dogma.



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
 Email
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
During the last decade, terrorism had acquired characteristics of a global phenomenon, but the numerous steps taken by the UPA Government had saved many innocent lives, she claimed.
UPA to form govt at Centre: AIMC by United News of India (UNI) (New Delhi, India)
The process of racial uplift or racial degeneration made sense only because of a kind of neo-Lamarckianism that posited that acquired characteristics could in one way or another be passed on to future generations.
Perils of degeneration: reform, the savage immigrant, and the ... by Bender, Daniel E. / Journal of Social History
Darwinian evolution, however, does not--indeed, it cannot--transmit acquired characteristics to future generations.
Reply to Xavier L. Simon's comment by Montanye, James A. / Independent Review
More results
 
Hutchinson browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2010 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.