How do we know acquired traits cant have an influence on genetic mutation?

Question

Does anyone know how we came up with the conclusion that something taught can not have an influence on genes? If something is taught for thousands of years can it not have an effect on offspring at all? My example would be religion. Is it impossible for religion to effect the offspring's thought process and gullibility. Are acquired traits completely ruled out of the picture when passing down genes to offspring?

Answer 1

ecolink gave a good description of the type of experiment that can demonstrate this. Of couse, one could counter that this would require a *lot* more generations to demonstrate.

But the main point is that we now know about genetics and DNA. There is also something that Francis Crick called the "central dogma of molecular biology" (although he regretted calling it a "dogma"). This basically says that information can only flow from DNA to proteins, never from proteins to DNA. The way that DNA works is to encode proteins ... and that it how it determines the details of body structure and function. But the proteins that comprise body structure and function cannot change the DNA that produces it.

This means that there is nothing you can do in your lifetime, to cause a change in your DNA. There is no mechanism for coding events that happen to you into your genetic code.

So it is not possible (scientifically) for the religious beliefs of a person to affect their DNA or the DNA that they pass on to their offspring. Of course, if there is some trait X that makes one prone to being religious, and if seeking out other religious people means that you will most likely meet a mate who also has trait X, then there is a better chance that your children will have trait X as well. But in every case, a person is born and dies with the same trait ... they do not *acquire* that trait X in their lifetime.

Answer 2

The actual experiment that disproved this idea of acquired characteristics was:

A scientist cut of the tails of a bunch of mice.
Then he let the mice breed.
The baby mice had tails!!!!
So he cut off the tails of the baby mice, let them grow up and breed.
Their babies had tails!!!
And so on for many generations.

You're talking about characteristics that result from a genetic change and have survival value. These are the characteristics that are passed on through future generations.

For example: some early people were afraid of snakes, so they left snakes alone. They survived. We're afraid of snakes, too.

Some Early people weren't afraid of snakes, so they didn't leave snakes alone, and they died of snake bites. They didn't survive. Their genes didn't get passed on.

Answer 3

Acquired traits do NOT pass from one generation to the next genetically. That is known and LaMarckian Evolution, and it has been proven false.

Answer 4

Oh the irony if religion were an inherited trait.