We already know that proteins and RNA (or some other clay-like self-replicating molecule) were important for the formation of the first cell, but how did the first cell form?
By this we mean: how is the plasma membrane, the nucleus, and the cytoplasm formed. We ask this question around the theme of the origin of life.
Answer
All cells are surrounded by a lipid membrane of fatty acids. Due to their chemical structure, fatty acids tend to clump together in an aqueous environment. This occurs in the form of a vesicle: the hydrophobic tails will aggregate on the inside of the vesicle and the hydrophilic heads will face outward to the aqueous environment. It is believed that a simpler form of fatty acids formed similar vesicles in prehistoric times, but were permeable enough to allow nucleotides, among other things, to enter these “protocells”. From then on, the protocell could continue to develop, but the various steps that effectively led to the creation of the current cells are still being investigated.
Source: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v409/n6818/full/409387a0.html
Answered by
Dorien Van de Wouwer
Plant biotechnology: cell walls and bioethanol
http://www.ugent.be
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