Re: OoL – out at first base?

On 11/12/2024 1:09 pm, MarkE wrote:

Broadly, the steps would be:
 1. Self-replicating polymer - environment supplies monomers
 2. Non-autonomous protocell - environment supplies monomers, lipids, etc, which are used directly by the cell
 3. Autonomous protocell    - environment supplies food which the cell converts into monomers, lipids, etc
 I'm referring to reaching step 3.

In step 3, "converts" is essentially metabolism, the three main functions of which are: the conversion of the energy in food to energy available to run cellular processes; the conversion of food to building blocks of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and some carbohydrates; and the elimination of metabolic wastes.