Question

What are the four postulates of "the theory of inheritance of acquired characters”?​

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

1. New needs:

Every living organism is found in some kind of environment. The changes in the environmental factors like light, temperature, medium, food, air etc. or migration of animal lead to the origin of new needs in the living organisms, especially animals. To fulfill these new needs, the living organisms have to exert special efforts like the changes in habits or behaviour.

2. Use and disuse of organs:

The new habits involve the greater use of certain organs to meet new needs, and the disuse or lesser use of certain other organs which are of no use in new conditions. This use and disuse of organs greatly affect the form, structure and functioning of the organs.

Continuous and extra use of organs make them more efficient while the continued disuse of some other organs lead to their degeneration and ultimate disappearance. So, Lamarckism is also called “Theory of use and disuse of organs.”

So the organism acquires certain new characters due to direct or indirect environmental effects during its own life span and are called Acquired or adaptive characters.

3. Inheritance of acquired characters:

Lamarck believed that acquired characters are inheritable and are transmitted to the offsprings so that these are born fit to face the changed environmental conditions and the chances of their survival are increased.

4. Speciation:

Lamarck believed that in every generation, new characters are acquired and transmitted to next generation, so that new characters accumulate generation after generation. After a number of generations, a new species is formed.

Answer 2

Summary of four postulates of the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics:

1. Living organisms or their component parts tend to increase in size.

2. Production of new organ is resulted from a new need.

3. Continued use of an organ makes it more developed, while disuse of an organ results in degeneration.

4. Acquired characters (or modifications) developed by individuals during their own lifetime are inheritable and accumulate over a period of time resulting a new species.