Q68 / 200 · MHT CET - Medical 2026 (21 April Shift 1) · Biology

Given below are two statements:
Statement (I): Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characters was disproved by Weismann.
Statement (II): According to Weismann, variations produced in somatic cells are inherited while variations produced in germ cells are not inherited to the next generation.
In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below.

  • A
    Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are correct.
  • B
    Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are incorrect.
  • Correct answer
    C
    Statement (I) is correct but Statement (II) is incorrect.
  • D
    Statement (I) is incorrect but Statement (II) is correct.

Solution

Statement (I) is correct because August Weismann disproved Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characters by conducting an experiment where he cut off the tails of mice for several generations, yet the offspring always developed normal tails.

Statement (II) is incorrect because Weismann proposed the theory of continuity of germplasm, which states that variations or changes occurring in the germ cells (germplasm) are inherited by the next generation, whereas changes in the somatic cells (somatoplasm) are not inherited.

Answer: Statement (I) is correct but Statement (II) is incorrect.

Hence, the correct answer is option: 'C'.

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