The first cell is believed to have arisen from the enclosure of self-replicating RNA and associated molecules within a membrane composed of phospholipids. This process, called abiogenesis, is thought to have occurred billions of years ago in a primordial soup of organic molecules. The exact details of how this occurred are still being researched, but scientists have proposed several theories.
One theory suggests that fatty molecules coated the iron-sulfur froth in the early Earth's environment, spontaneously forming cell-like bubbles. These bubbles may have enclosed self-replicating RNA molecules, leading to the first primitive cells.
Over time, these cells evolved into more complex organisms, eventually giving rise to the diverse life we see today. Present-day cells evolved from a common prokaryotic ancestor along three lines of descent, giving rise to archaebacteria, eubacteria, and eukaryotes.
Key Takeaways:
- The first cell arose from the enclosure of self-replicating RNA and associated molecules within a membrane composed of phospholipids.
- Abiogenesis is the process of life arising from non-living matter.
- The exact details of abiogenesis are still being researched, but there are several theories.
