CBSE Class 10 Science 2017 · Paper 531 · Question 12

Inherited traits are passed on from the parents to the offspring through the genes (DNA) of the germ cells; acquired traits are developed by an individual during its own lifetime, through use, training, injury or the environment, and are not passed on. Inherited traits are coded in the DNA of the germ cells; acquired traits are changes in the non-reproductive (body) tissues that leave the DNA of the germ cells unchanged. Examples: inherited - eye colour (or free versus attached earlobes); acquired - the low weight of a beetle caused by starvation (or a skill such as swimming). Reason: an acquired trait changes only the non-reproductive tissues of the body, not the DNA of the germ cells. Only the DNA of the germ cells is passed on to the next generation in sexual reproduction, so the traits acquired during the lifetime of an individual are not inherited.