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Minimal genomes required for life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2010

Rosario Gil
Affiliation:
Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain
Vicente Pérez-Brocal
Affiliation:
Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain
Amparo Latorre
Affiliation:
Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain
Andrés Moya
Affiliation:
Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain
N. A. Logan
Affiliation:
Glasgow Caledonian University
H. M. Lappin-Scott
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
P. C. F Oyston
Affiliation:
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down
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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Even the simplest unicellular organisms on Earth display an amazing degree of complexity. The question is whether such complexity is a necessary attribute of cellular life or whether, instead, cellular life could also be possible with a much smaller number of molecular components, in the form of what has been called a minimal cell (Luisi et al., 2002; Islas et al., 2004). The first step to envisage such a minimal cell implies the identification of the necessary and sufficient features of life, leading to a clear definition of what ‘life’ is in this context. This is an extremely complex question with a long tradition in theoretical biology because, in addition to the understanding of the essential properties of a living system, the definition of cellular life is also related to the debated issue of the origin of life, since in the early stages of cellular evolution cells must have been close to the simplest possible life forms. Nowadays, there is a reasonable degree of consensus in defining life as the property of a system that displays simultaneously three features: homeostasis, self-reproduction and evolution (Luisi et al., 2002).

Life can be considered an emergent property: it is a quality that arises from the assembly of non-living elements, properly arranged in space and time (Luisi, 2002). Therefore, to understand life it is necessary to understand first the main non-living components.

Type
Chapter
Information
Prokaryotic Diversity
Mechanisms and Significance
, pp. 105 - 122
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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  • Minimal genomes required for life
    • By Rosario Gil, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Vicente Pérez-Brocal, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Amparo Latorre, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Andrés Moya, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain
  • Edited by N. A. Logan, Glasgow Caledonian University, H. M. Lappin-Scott, University of Exeter, P. C. F Oyston, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down
  • Book: Prokaryotic Diversity
  • Online publication: 06 July 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511754913.007
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  • Minimal genomes required for life
    • By Rosario Gil, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Vicente Pérez-Brocal, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Amparo Latorre, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Andrés Moya, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain
  • Edited by N. A. Logan, Glasgow Caledonian University, H. M. Lappin-Scott, University of Exeter, P. C. F Oyston, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down
  • Book: Prokaryotic Diversity
  • Online publication: 06 July 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511754913.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Minimal genomes required for life
    • By Rosario Gil, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Vicente Pérez-Brocal, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Amparo Latorre, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain, Andrés Moya, Insituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain
  • Edited by N. A. Logan, Glasgow Caledonian University, H. M. Lappin-Scott, University of Exeter, P. C. F Oyston, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down
  • Book: Prokaryotic Diversity
  • Online publication: 06 July 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511754913.007
Available formats
×