Definition

Noun: - A German biologist: Refers specifically to August Weismann, a 19th and early 20th-century scientist who was one of the founders of modern genetics. - Associated with a key biological theory: His name is intrinsically linked to the "Weismann barrier" or the theory of the continuity of the germ plasm, which proposed that hereditary information flows only from germ cells (sperm and egg) to somatic cells (body cells), and not the other way around. This ruled out the Lamarckian idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The experiments of Weismann were crucial in disproving Lamarckism.
  • Modern genetics owes much to the foundational work of Weismann.
  • The Weismann barrier is a central concept in evolutionary biology.

Advanced Usage

• "Weismannian" (adjective): Pertaining to the theories or ideas of August Weismann.
  • The Weismannian view of heredity dominated biological thought for decades.
• The name "Weismann" is often used metonymically to represent his theory of germ-plasm continuity.
  • The debate between Lamarck and Weismann shaped early evolutionary theory.

Variants and Related Words

• Weismannism (noun): The body of theory developed by August Weismann, especially concerning the separation of germ plasm from somatoplasm.
• Weismann's barrier (noun phrase): The conceptual barrier that prevents information from somatic cells from affecting the germ cells.

Synonyms

• Biologist (general term)
• Geneticist (specific field, though this term post-dates his era)

Related Concepts (Not synonyms, but closely associated)

• Germ plasm theory
• Neo-Darwinism (the modern synthesis of Darwinian evolution and Mendelian genetics, for which Weismann's work provided a crucial foundation)

Noun

1. German biologist who was one of the founders of modern genetics; his theory of genetic transmission ruled out the possibility of transmitting acquired characteristics (1834-1914)