Question

A scientist wanted to conduct a genetic experiment on mice. He cut the tails of all the mice and made them reproduce. What will be the phenotype of the offsprings?

Options

• All the offsprings will be tailless.

• There will be a mix of tailed and tailless offsprings.

• All the offsprings will have tails.

• Tail of the offsprings cannot be predicted.

Answer 1

All the offsprings will have tails.

Explanation:

Removing mice’s tails is an acquired feature that does not affect the genetic material in their germ cells. Only inherited qualities are handed down to future generations, thus all offspring will have a tail. This supports the idea that acquired characteristics are not inherited.