RC Question 13 Explanation, by LSATHacks
DISCUSSION: As with all specific detail questions, you should support the right answer with the passage. This prevents many mistakes.
___________
- Scientists don’t believe that a parent using an organ will affect the child’s organ. But it’s common knowledge that using an organ in your own body will affect that organ.
- The passage suggests this is true, so scientists probably believe it.
- Scientists likely never believed this, so it’s unlikely to be something they no longer believe. “No longer” implies they used to believe it.
- This is something scientists do believe.
- CORRECT. Now we know that some genes are transmitted horizontally instead of vertically (lines 46-50).
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The passage suggests nothing about what biologists now believe. Biologists are never mentioned again. I thought we were supposed to analyze the actual, literal, article? For all I know, plumbers could be doing these experiments… or perhaps one lone biologist in a top secret lab.
Still a fairly easy answer to guess, but I wish they wouldn’t make us make inferences like this.
In the first paragraph, we’re told that biologists have “long held” that acquired characteristics can’t be inherited. In the final paragraph, we’re given a description of various kinds of “new evidence” that oppose that claim, including evidence that points to the need to seperate genes into those inherited vertically, and those inherited horizontally. The second and third paragraphs also provide clear support for the contention that the belief that all genes are inherited vertically is misguided.
Yes, it’s important to stick to the letter of the passage as much as you can, but it’s not a stretch to assume that the research mentioned is conducted by biologists given the actual descriptions of the experiments and research. And just because the passage isn’t explicit that “many biologists” have changed their view, doesn’t mean we can ignore the fact that at the very least the biologists who have conducted this research have shifted their view. Furthermore, RC is asking you for the best answer of the options given, and you’ll often need to make common-sense assumptions like the ones I’ve made here.
I am confused on this. Wouldn’t Vertical transmission be through the ancestors? If so, the scientist held that inheritance never occurs (paragraph one). Then, we learn that some are horizontal (last paragraph)
Why is E correct? When did scientist think all genes were inherited vertically? (If they said it never occured)