Traits altered by an individual organism during its life are called what?

• A. Acquired Characteristics
• B. Inherited Traits
• C. Mutations
• D. Adaptations

Answer: (A)

This question is about how traits can change within a living individual during its lifetime. Traits that change as a result of environment, use, or life experiences are called acquired characteristics. They occur for the individual and aren’t encoded in its DNA, so they aren’t passed on to offspring. Examples include building muscle with exercise or developing calluses from repeated friction.

By contrast, inherited traits come from genes passed from parents, mutations are changes in the DNA sequence, and adaptations are genetic traits that increase fitness and are often shaped by natural selection. So when a trait is altered during the organism’s life and not written in its genes, the best fit is acquired characteristics.