Current Ideas about Prebiological Compartmentalization
Contemporary biological cells are highly sophisticated dynamic compartment systems which separate an internal volume from the external medium through a boundary, which controls, in complex ways, the exchange of matter and energy between the cell’s interior and the environment. Since such compartment...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-04-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/5/2/1239 |
| _version_ | 1798034992603856896 |
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| author | Pierre-Alain Monnard Peter Walde |
| author_facet | Pierre-Alain Monnard Peter Walde |
| author_sort | Pierre-Alain Monnard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Contemporary biological cells are highly sophisticated dynamic compartment systems which separate an internal volume from the external medium through a boundary, which controls, in complex ways, the exchange of matter and energy between the cell’s interior and the environment. Since such compartmentalization is a fundamental principle of all forms of life, scenarios have been elaborated about the emergence of prebiological compartments on early Earth, in particular about their likely structural characteristics and dynamic features. Chemical systems that consist of potentially prebiological compartments and chemical reaction networks have been designed to model pre-cellular systems. These systems are often referred to as “protocells”. Past and current protocell model systems are presented and compared. Since the prebiotic formation of cell-like compartments is directly linked to the prebiotic availability of compartment building blocks, a few aspects on the likely chemical inventory on the early Earth are also summarized. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:51:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71cad9162dfd4d41a8a89517ba017ed9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:51:59Z |
| publishDate | 2015-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-71cad9162dfd4d41a8a89517ba017ed92022-12-22T04:03:49ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292015-04-01521239126310.3390/life5021239life5021239Current Ideas about Prebiological CompartmentalizationPierre-Alain Monnard0Peter Walde1Center for Fundamental Living Technology (FLinT), Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense, DenmarkLaboratory of Polymer Chemistry, Department of Materials, ETH-Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 5, CH-8093 Zürich, SwitzerlandContemporary biological cells are highly sophisticated dynamic compartment systems which separate an internal volume from the external medium through a boundary, which controls, in complex ways, the exchange of matter and energy between the cell’s interior and the environment. Since such compartmentalization is a fundamental principle of all forms of life, scenarios have been elaborated about the emergence of prebiological compartments on early Earth, in particular about their likely structural characteristics and dynamic features. Chemical systems that consist of potentially prebiological compartments and chemical reaction networks have been designed to model pre-cellular systems. These systems are often referred to as “protocells”. Past and current protocell model systems are presented and compared. Since the prebiotic formation of cell-like compartments is directly linked to the prebiotic availability of compartment building blocks, a few aspects on the likely chemical inventory on the early Earth are also summarized.http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/5/2/1239protocellcompartmentlipidsfatty acidsvesiclescoacervatesamphiphilesorigin of life |
| spellingShingle | Pierre-Alain Monnard Peter Walde Current Ideas about Prebiological Compartmentalization Life protocell compartment lipids fatty acids vesicles coacervates amphiphiles origin of life |
| title | Current Ideas about Prebiological Compartmentalization |
| title_full | Current Ideas about Prebiological Compartmentalization |
| title_fullStr | Current Ideas about Prebiological Compartmentalization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Current Ideas about Prebiological Compartmentalization |
| title_short | Current Ideas about Prebiological Compartmentalization |
| title_sort | current ideas about prebiological compartmentalization |
| topic | protocell compartment lipids fatty acids vesicles coacervates amphiphiles origin of life |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/5/2/1239 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pierrealainmonnard currentideasaboutprebiologicalcompartmentalization AT peterwalde currentideasaboutprebiologicalcompartmentalization |