Proto-cell, what the first cells may have looked like.

[Cyrene]

ScienceDaily (Jun. 6, 2008) — A team of researchers at Harvard University have modeled in the laboratory a primitive cell, or protocell, that is capable of building, copying and containing DNA.

Since there are no physical records of what the first primitive cells on Earth looked like, or how they grew and divided, the research team’s protocell project offers a useful way to learn about how Earth’s earliest cells may have interacted with their environment approximately 3.5 billion years ago.

The protocell’s fatty acid membrane allows chemical compounds, including the building blocks of DNA, to enter into the cell without the assistance of the protein channels and pumps required by today’s highly developed cell membranes. Also unlike modern cells, the protocell does not use enzymes for copying its DNA

-science daily.

Theres been realistic explanations about how cells could have evolved or what they could have evolved from, for well over 30years, and the origins of life in general, but now as our science increases, we can model/create proto-cells which may be similiar to the types of ways cells first evolved.

Simply, amazing.

Even if its not even clsoe to what ‘true proto-cells’ looked like, it proves that protocells don’t have a problem existing or that nature wouldn’t have a problem creating one.

[MagsJ (Surya Loka)]

Cool stuff!

Wouldn’t amoeba or any other single-celled organism reflect proto-cells? or have they evolved from what they once were too…

[Xunzian]

Amebeae are actually fairly derived organisms! itol.embl.de/

It is actually thought that archaea represent the most primitive sort of organism still in existence. But even they are pretty derived compared to the last universal ancestor, let alone the first form of cellular life!

People’s teleology regarding evolution is often quite off. But that is OK, it is admittedly complicated and it runs against the grain of common sense

Did Science Daily link the real article?

[Cyrene]

sciencedaily.com/releases/20 … 140959.htm

it doesn’t link t he real research paper in the journal but it provides that information.

[Xunzian]

Neato. Thanks.

[The_Art_of_War]

@Xunzian

Amebeae are actually fairly derived organisms! itol.embl.de/

It is actually thought that archaea represent the most primitive sort of organism still in existence. But even they are pretty derived compared to the last universal ancestor, let alone the first form of cellular life!

People’s teleology regarding evolution is often quite off. But that is OK, it is admittedly complicated and it runs against the grain of common sense

Did Science Daily link the real article?

Evolution might be complicated, but if anything at all it makes perfect sense if you think about it for more than 2 seconds.

Fortunately, those holy enough are capable of practicing doublethink .

[Mr_Reasonable]

I think that image has been unethically manipulated. Did someone with a grant publish that thing?