SSC CHSL 2024 PYQ — Question 48

SSC CHSL - 04 July 2024 - Shift 2 • General Awareness • Q48

In which year did Wilhelm Johannsen coin the term ‘gene’ to describe the Mendelian units of heredity?

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. 1909.

Wilhelm Johannsen coined the term "gene" in 1909 to describe the Mendelian units of heredity. He introduced this term while conducting experiments on the inheritance of traits in plants, particularly about the variability of organisms. Johannsen's work helped establish a clearer understanding of how genetic traits are passed down from one generation to the next, and his concept of the gene laid the foundation for modern genetics, which eventually became essential for understanding inheritance and evolution.