Compare and contrast protobionts microspheres and coacervate

Compare and contrast protobionts, microspheres, and coacervates, and discuss their relationship to the hypothesis of pre-cell life\"

Solution

Protobiont: Lit., first life. Protobionts were considered precursors of the life on the planet. Protobionts were aggregates of organic molecules that were surrounded by chance in the lipid membrane. These aggregates could fuse to form larger aggregates.

Microspheres: Lit., small spheres. Microsphere was made up of amino acids. In which, two amino acids combine to form dipeptide and so on, due to excess heat leading to the removal of water. These spheres grow in size and also allowed entry and exit of the molecules

Coacervates: These were lipids coming due to hydrophobic forces and form a membrane. Somehow, the nucleic acid got trapped in these vesicles. The Nucleic acid replicated and thus the membrane grew in size. Due to imbalance of surface area to volume ratio, increase in volume led to division of the coacervates so that surface area can be increased.

Thus, Coacervates are the dividing protobionts.

All these three are considered the precursor to the first living cell. Protobiont/coacervates became the cell and microspheres developed to form various vesicles in the cell.