Pangenesis Theory, The

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle maintained that one part of all the cells in the body came together to form the egg and sperm. He also suggested that all the changes taking place in the body throughout an organism's life could be passed along to later generations.

This idea was taken up by Lamarck and Darwin in the 19th century, although it was eventually shown to be false. Reproductive cells are not a product of the body's cells, and changes in them do not affect the ovum and spermatazoa. (See Lamarck's Evolution Scenario.)