protophone
A protophone is a hypothetical early stage in the evolution of life, specifically referring to a primitive cellular structure that could have served as a precursor to the first true cells. The concept of a protophone is central to abiogenesis, the scientific study of how life arose from non-living matter. These early entities are imagined to have possessed some, but not all, of the characteristics we associate with modern cells.
Key features often attributed to protophones include the ability to maintain a distinct internal environment separate
The exact chemical composition and structure of protophones remain speculative, as they predate the fossil record.