Question

The term heterosis is coined by _______.

• A. Hull, 1945
• B. Bruce, 1910
• C. East, 1908
• D. Shull, 1914

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The correct answer is (4) Shull, 1914.

Heterosis, also known as hybrid vigor, refers to the phenomenon where the offspring resulting from the crossbreeding of two different species or varieties show superior qualities compared to their parents. The term was first coined by George Shull in 1914, who observed that hybrid plants often outperformed their parent plants in terms of growth, yield, and other characteristics.

Let’s review the other options:

(1) Hull, 1945: Hull contributed to the study of heterosis, especially in the context of maize, but he did not coin the term.

(2) Bruce, 1910: Bruce made significant contributions to genetics, but the term heterosis was not coined by him.

(3) East, 1908: East is known for his work on quantitative inheritance and the concept of heterosis, but the term was coined by Shull.

Thus, the correct answer is (4) Shull, 1914, as he was the one who first coined the term heterosis.

Answer 2

The term heterosis, also known as hybrid vigor, was first coined by George Shull to describe the phenomenon where hybrid offspring exhibit superior traits com- pared to their parents.