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Biologists define an acquired characteristic as one that has developed in the course of
the life of an individual in the somatic or body cells, usually as a direct response to some
external change in the environment or through the use or disuse of a part.
The inheritance of such a characteristic means its reappearance in one or more
individuals in the next or in succeeding generations. An example would be found in the
supposed inheritance of a change brought about by the use and disuse of a special organ.
The blacksmith’s arm (or any other set of muscles) enlarges when used continually
against an external resistance, such as the weight of the hammer. If the effect were
inherited, the smith’s children at birth would have unusually large arms—if not at birth,
then when they became adults, even though they had not used their arms excessively.
There is no evidence supporting this case. A more subtle illustration is found in the
supposed inheritance of an increased dexterity of the hands of a musician through
practice.