General Awareness · Science General

Inventors and Scientific Discoveries

4,616 Questions

This hub provides questions related to great inventors and their scientific discoveries. It covers the inventors of the telephone, radio, and microchips, alongside Nobel Prize winners. These facts are crucial for the general awareness section of major competitive exams.

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Inventors and Scientific Discoveries Questions

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Theory of "inheritance of acquired characters" was written by

  1. Darwin

  2. Lamarck

  3. Weismann

  4. Aristotle
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
The inheritance of acquired characteristics is a hypothesis that physiological changes acquired over the life of an organism (such as the enlargement of a muscle through repeated use) may be transmitted to offspring. It is also commonly referred to as the theory of adaptation equated with the evolutionary theory of French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck known as Lamarckism.
Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

When an organ is used, it will develop and if it is not used, it weakens to become vestigial. Who said this?

  1. Darwin

  2. Hugo de Vries

  3. Lamarck

  4. Mendel
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Lamarck is best known for his 'Theory of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics', first presented in 1801.
If an organism changes during life in order to adapt to its environment, those changes are passed on to its offspring.
The classic example used to explain the concept of use and disuse is the elongated neck of the giraffe. According to Lamarck's theory, a given giraffe could, over a lifetime of straining to reach high branches, develop an elongated neck. A major downfall of his theory was that he could not explain how this might happen, though he discussed a "natural tendency toward perfection." Another example Lamarck used was the toes of water birds. He proposed that from years of straining their toes to swim through water, these birds gained elongated, webbed toes to better their swimming.
Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Theory of inheritance of acquired characters was put forth by

  1. De Vries

  2. Lamarck

  3. Weismann

  4. Galton
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Lamarck is best known for his, 'Theory of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics', first presented in 1801 (Darwin's first book dealing with natural selection was published in 1859): If an organism changes during life in order to adapt to its environment, those changes are passed on to its offspring. He said that change is made by what the organisms want or need. For example- Lamarck believed that elephants all used to have short trunks. When there was no food or water that they could reach with their short trunks, they stretched their trunks to reach the water and branches, and their offspring inherited long trunks. Lamarck also said that body parts that are not being used, such as the human appendix and little toes are gradually disappearing. Eventually, people will be born without these parts. Lamarck also believed that evolution happens according to a predetermined plan and that the results have already been decided.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

The book named "Philosophic Zoologique" was published in 1809 and was written by

  1. Mendel

  2. Darwin

  3. DeVries

  4. Lamarck
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Philosophie zoologique is an 1809 book by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in which he outlines his theory of evolution now known as Lamarckism. In the book, Lamarck named two supposed laws that would enable animal species to acquire characteristics under the influence of their environment. The two laws are as followed :

a) Law of use and disuse theory that defines the change in the body structure over the course of evolution.
b) The second law states that the change in the body structure must be inherited.
So, the correct answer is option D.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Theory of acquired characters was put forward by 

  1. Lamarck

  2. Hugo de Vries

  3. Drawin

  4. Wallace
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

the famous theory of acquired characters was put forward by Lamarck. Lamarck suggested that if any changes take place in the life of organisms, that changes lead to change in their genetic character. This happens so that the organism can adapt better to their environment. These changes or adaptations are then passed on to subsequent generations. Thus they acquire these characters too.

So, option A "Lamarck" is the correct answer.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

A scientist who worked on rats,
cut their tails up to 21 successive generations
but at last he found that tail remained normal. By giving this experimental theory, which of the following scientist got disapproved?

  1. Darwin

  2. Lamarck

  3. Hugo de Vries

  4. Mendel
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This experiment disproves the theory of inheritance of acquired characters, because the tailless condition is an acquired characteristic but it is not inherited by succeeding generations. Lamarck gave theory of inheritance of acquired characters.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

The scientists regarded as Neo-Lamarckist are

  1. August Weismann and T.H. Morgan

  2. Hardy-Weinberg

  3. Correns, Tschermak and Hugo de Vries

  4. Kammerer and McDougall
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Kammerer and McDougall respectively worked on toads and rats and tried to gather experimental evidences to prove Lamarckism, but their experiments were not conclusive evidence for Lamarckism and were criticised on several counts.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

The statement, 'Lamarck's acquired
 characters are not inherited and have
no evolutionary value' was given  by

  1. Hugo de Vries

  2. Charles Darwin

  3. Weismann

  4. T.H. Morgan
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Weismann cut the tails of experimental animals for many generations, yet they were always born with tail. Thus proving that acquired characters (tailless state in this case) are not inherited.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Germplasm theory against Lamarck's principle, was given by

  1. Weismann

  2. Darwin

  3. Lamarck

  4. Hugo de Vries
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

According to Lamark's principle all the characters that are acquired during the lifetime of an organism are passed on to the next generation. This theory is called as inheritance of acquired characters. However, Wiesmann did not agree with this theory, and proved through the tail cutting experiments on mice that only the changes that take place in the germ cells or the gametes are only passed on to the next generation.

So, the correct answer is 'Weismann'

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Who proved that somatic cells have little influence in inheritance?

  1. Lamarck

  2. Darwin

  3. Weismann

  4. Cuvier
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The answer is option C i.e. "Weismann".

  • Weismann gave the germ plasm theory which proved that somatic cells have little or no influence in inheritance.
  • Darwin only supported Weismann that one’s acquired character is not inherited in the next generation.
  • Lamarck gave a hypothesis on the inheritance of acquired characteristics, he proposed the idea of heritability of acquired characteristics.
  • While Cuvier did not work in the discovery of inheritance. He discovered the process of the formation of fossils.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Living beings are made up of cells. This was first stated by

  1. Lamarck

  2. Von Helmont

  3. Schleiden and Schwann

  4. Hugo de Vries
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Lamarck is best known for his 'Theory of Inheritance' of Acquired Characteristics. If an organism changes during life in order to adapt to its environment, those changes are passed on to its offspring.

Van Helmont discovered that water was involved in increasing the mass of a plant. 
In 1838 Matthias Schleiden had stated that plant tissues were composed of cells. Schwann demonstrated the same fact for animal tissues.
Huge de Vries believed species evolve from other species through sudden, large changes in character traits.
So, the correct answer is "Lamarck".

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

The first attempt to solve the problem of organic evolution was done by 

  1. Mendel

  2. Haeckel

  3. Lamarck

  4. Darwin
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In early 19$^{th}$ century, Jean Baptiste de Lamarck, French zoologist suggested the first theory of organic evolution based on the development of new or modified character in response to environmental changes. For instance, giraffe acquired long neck due to stretching of the neck for food. Thus, the correct answer is ‘Lamarck.’

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Who was the first to discard the idea of fixity of species?

  1. Darwin

  2. Lamarck

  3. Robert Hooke

  4. Willian Harvey

  5. Stanley Cohen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
Fixity of species is a term which means all species remained unchanged throughout the history of the earth. It was discarded by Lamarck. According to his theory of inheritance of characters, the characters acquired in life time are transferred to the next generation and do not remain fixed.
So, the correct answer is 'Lamarck'
Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Match the columns and choose the right option:

   LIST I   LIST II 
 A  Thomas Malthus  1  Branching descent
 B  Hugo Vries  2  Studies on populations
 C  Charles Darwin  3  Use and disuse theory
 D  Lamarck  4  Saltation

  1. A - 4, B - 1, C - 2, D - 3

  2. A - 3, B - 2, C - 1, D - 4

  3. A - 4, B - 3, C - 1, D - 2

  4. A - 2, B - 4, C - 1, D - 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
  1. Thomas Malthus stated through his studies on population that human populations grow exponentially while food production grows at an arithmetic rate. This scenario predicted a future when humans would have no resources to survive on. 
    2. Hugo de Vries regarded single, large step mutations called saltation as the reason for evolution.
    3. Darwin regarded natural selection and branching descent as the key concepts of the theory of evolution. Branching descent may be defined as the process by which new species originate from a single common descendant.
    4. Lamarck proposed the theory of use and disuse of Organs which state that if an organ is constantly used, it would be better developed whereas disuse of organ results in its degeneration.
    So, the correct answer is 'A - 2, B - 4, C - 1, D - 3'