Protocell

A protocell (or protobiont) is a self-organized, membrane-bound or membraneless compartment that concentrates biomolecules, proposed as a rudimentary precursor to cells during the origin of life. It is a minimal unit that can undergo Darwinian evolution. The term "protocell" is also used interchangeably with other terms such as "artificial cell", "minimal cell", "synthetic cell" to describe similar things developed in a laboratory. A central question in evolution is how simple protocells first arose and how their progeny could diversify, thus enabling the accumulation of novel biological emergences over time (i.e. biological evolution). Although a functional protocell that evolves has not yet been achieved in a laboratory setting, the goal to understand the process appears possible.

A protocell is a pre-cell in abiogenesis, and was a contained system consisting of simple biologically relevant molecules like ribozymes, and encapsulated in a simple membrane structure – isolating the entity from the environment and other individuals – thought to consist of simple fatty acids, mineral structures, or rock-pore structures.