Definition
Non-cellular life, also known as acellular life, is life that exists without a cellular structure for at least part of its life cycle. Historically, most definitions of life postulated that an organism must be composed of one or more cells, but, for some, this is no longer considered necessary, and modern criteria allow for forms of life based on other structural arrangements.
Related concepts
AbiogenesisAbioticAdnaviriaAlphasatellitidaeAmpullaviridaeAnimalApicoplastArchaeaArtificial cellAvsunviroidaeBacteriaBacteriomeBartogtaviriformidaeBasaltiviridaeBicaudaviridaeBio-like structureBiological dark matterBiological life cycleBrachygtaviriformidaeCancer cellCarbon chauvinismCarl ZimmerCell (biology)Cell divisionChloroplastChromoplastChromosomeCircular chromosomeClavaviridaeClonally transmissible cancerCoacervateColicinCosmidDNADNA replicationDNA transposonDNA virusDaniel MaziaDefective interfering particleDinodnavirusDiversity-generating retroelementDouble-stranded RNA virusesDsDNA-RT virusDuplodnaviriaEarliest known life formsEfunaviriaEndogenous retrovirusEndogenous viral elementEndosymbiontEpisomeEukaryoteEurekaviridaeExtrachromosomal DNAFertility factor (bacteria)First universal common ancestorFloreoviriaFosmidFrancevillian biotaFungal prionFungusFuselloviridaeGeneGene duplicationGenetic materialGenomeGenomic islandGerontoplastGiant virusGlobuloviridaeGroup II intronGroup I catalytic intronGut bacteriaGuttaviridaeHalspiviridaeHeLaHelper dependent virusHelper virusHorizontal gene transferHuangdiviridaeHydrogenosomeHypothetical types of biochemistryIncertae sedisIntegrative and conjugative elementInterspersed repeatItzamnaviridaeJeewanuKappa organismLUCALast universal common ancestorLeucoplastLifeLinear chromosomeLomiviridaeMicrobial dark matterMicrobiomeMicroparticleMitochondrionMitosomeMobile genetic elementsMobilomeModel lipid bilayerMoleculeMultinucleateMycoplasma laboratoriumNaldaviricetesNanobacteriumNanobeNipumfusiviridaeNitroplastNon-coding DNANucleic acidNucleobasesObelisk (biology)ObscuriviridaeOrganelleOrganismOrigin of replicationOvaliviridaeParakaryonPhagemidPlantPlasmaviridaePlasmidPlasmodialPlastidPleomoviriaPoisonPolydnaviriformidaePortogloboviridaePospiviroidaePre-cellPrionProkaryoteProphageProteinProteinoidProtistProtocellProvirusR-factorRNARNA-dependent RNA polymeraseRNA polymerase IIRNA virusRNA worldRepeated sequence (DNA)Replicon (genetics)RetronRetroposonRetrotransposonRetroviroidRetrovirusRetrozymeReverse transcriptase-related cellular geneRhizidiovirusRhodogtaviriformidaeRiboviriaRibozymeRibozymesRibozyviriaSatellite (biology)Secondary chromosomeSelf-replicationSingelaviriaSpiegelman's MonsterSpiraviridaeSubviral agentsSulphobesSyncytialSynthetic virologyTandem repeatTelomerase reverse transcriptaseThaspiviridaeThe New York TimesTi plasmidTolecusatellitidaeToxinTransposable elementTranspovironTrophosomeVaridnaviriaVendobiontaViral evolutionViral vectorViriformViroidViromeVirophageVirulence factorVirusVirus-like particleVirus classificationVirusoidVolvereviriaXenobotXigoviridaeYamazakiviridae
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