Genetics
Weismann Barrier
The principle that genetic information passes only from germline (reproductive) cells to somatic (body) cells, never in reverse. Acquired characteristics cannot be inherited because changes to the body don't affect reproductive cells.
Biological Context
August Weismann proposed this in the 1880s, refuting Lamarckian inheritance. The barrier explains why cutting off tails doesn't produce tailless offspring. While the barrier is not absolute (epigenetics can sometimes cross it), it remains fundamental to understanding heredity.
Business Application
Organizations have Weismann-like barriers: operational learnings don't automatically become organizational DNA. Deliberately crossing this barrier—encoding learnings into processes, culture, and structure—is how organizations evolve.