Which statement correctly distinguishes inherited and acquired characteristics?

• A. Inherited traits are passed from parents, while acquired traits are developed during life and are not inherited.
• B. Acquired traits are developed during life and are not inherited.
• C. Both are always identical across a population.
• D. Inherited traits are learned behaviors.

Answer: (A)

The main principle here is that some traits come from our genes and can be passed to offspring, while other traits come from life experiences and environment and aren’t coded in DNA. The best statement captures that: inherited traits are passed from parents, while acquired traits are developed during life and are not inherited. For example, eye color is inherited because it comes from genetic information, whereas a tan from the sun or a skill learned in school is acquired and doesn’t get passed down genetically. The other options miss this distinction in some way: one only notes that acquired traits aren’t inherited without mentioning the inheritance part; another claims all traits are identical across a population, which isn’t true; and another mixes up learned behaviors with inheritance by suggesting inherited traits are learned.