What are acquired traits? Why are these traits generally not inherited over generations

• Heredity & Evolution (C10)

What are acquired traits? Why are these traits generally not inherited over generations? Explain.

Answer

Characters that a person acquires during one’s life time are known as acquired characters or traits.

Such changes do not occur in the reproductive tissues. Changes in the non-reproductive tissues are not passed on to the DNA of the germ cells and therefore not inherited by the next generation.