High School

The beneficial effect of the vaccine will not be passed on to the Tasmanian devils' offspring because the...

Answer :

Final answer:

The immunity provided by a vaccine to an individual, such as a Tasmanian devil, is not genetically encoded and, as such, cannot be passed on to offspring. It is a result of the adaptive immune system's response, not a change in the DNA that can be inherited.

Explanation:

The beneficial effect of a vaccine is the immunity it provides to the vaccinated individual against a specific disease. This immunity results from the body's immune response to the vaccine, which typically involves the production of antibodies. However, this immunity is not genetically encoded and therefore cannot be passed on to offspring. This is because the protection offered by vaccines is a result of an individual's adaptive immune system 'learning' to recognize and attack certain pathogens, not a change in their DNA that can be inherited by their offspring. For example, if a Tasmanian devil is vaccinated against a disease, it may become immune, but this immunity will not transfer to its young through genetic inheritance.