Who proposed that both sexes transmit agents of heredity?

• A. Hippocrates
• B. Regnier de Graaf
• C. Pythagoras
• D. Plato

Answer: (B)

The correct answer acknowledges Regnier de Graaf for his contributions to the understanding of heredity, specifically by proposing that both sexes contribute to the transmission of hereditary information. This idea was a shift from earlier theories that often credited only one parent, usually the male, with the role of passing down traits.

De Graaf's work laid groundwork for later genetic theories by suggesting that both the male and female played critical roles in the generation of offspring, which was a progressive view during his time. This contrasts with the perspectives of earlier thinkers like Hippocrates and Pythagoras, who did not support the idea of equal contribution from both sexes to heredity. Therefore, De Graaf's recognition of a dual role in inheritance paved the way for modern genetics, illustrating a foundational understanding that both male and female gametes carry hereditary information.