Definition
Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are protein-like, often cross-linked molecules formed abiotically from amino acids. Sidney W. Fox initially proposed that they may have been precursors to the first living cells (protocells). The term was also used in the 1960s to describe peptides that are shorter than twenty amino acids found in hydrolysed protein, but this term is no longer commonly used.
Related concepts
AbiogenesisAdnaviriaAlphasatellitidaeAmino acidAmpullaviridaeAnimalApicoplastArchaeaArtificial cellAvsunviroidaeBacteriaBacteriomeBartogtaviriformidaeBasaltiviridaeBicaudaviridaeBio-like structureBiological dark matterBrachygtaviriformidaeCancer cellCatalystCell (biology)Cell divisionChloroplastChromoplastChromosomeCinder coneCircular chromosomeClavaviridaeClonally transmissible cancerCoacervateColicinColin PittendrighCosmidCross-linkDNA replicationDNA transposonDNA virusDaniel MaziaDefective interfering particleDinodnavirusDiversity-generating retroelementDouble-stranded RNA virusesDsDNA-RT virusDuplodnaviriaEarliest known life formsEfunaviriaEndogenous retrovirusEndogenous viral elementEndosymbiontEpisomeEukaryoteEurekaviridaeExtrachromosomal DNAFertility factor (bacteria)FloreoviriaFosmidFrancevillian biotaFungal prionFungusFuselloviridaeGeneGene duplicationGenomeGenomic islandGerontoplastGiant virusGlobuloviridaeGroup II intronGroup I catalytic intronGuttaviridaeHalspiviridaeHawaiiHeLaHelper dependent virusHelper virusHorizontal gene transferHuangdiviridaeHydrogenosomeHydrophobicityIncertae sedisIntegrative and conjugative elementInterspersed repeatIron–sulfur world theoryItzamnaviridaeJeewanuKappa organismLUCALast universal common ancestorLeucoplastLifeLinear chromosomeLomiviridaeMicrobial dark matterMicroparticleMitochondrionMitosomeMobile genetic elementsMobilomeModel lipid bilayerMolecular evolutionMycoplasma laboratoriumNaldaviricetesNanobacteriumNanobeNipumfusiviridaeNitroplastNon-cellular lifeNon-coding DNANucleic acidObelisk (biology)ObscuriviridaeOrganelleOrganismOrigin of replicationOvaliviridaePAH world hypothesisParakaryonPeptidePeptide bondPhagemidPhosphoric acidPlantPlasmaviridaePlasmidPlastidPleomoviriaPolydnaviriformidaePolymerizationPolypeptidePortogloboviridaePospiviroidaePrionProkaryoteProphageProteinProteinsProtistProto-mitochondrionProtocellProvirusR-factorRNA-dependent RNA polymeraseRNA virusRNA worldRepeated sequence (DNA)Replicon (genetics)RetronRetroposonRetrotransposonRetroviroidRetrovirusRetrozymeReverse transcriptase-related cellular geneRhizidiovirusRhodogtaviriformidaeRiboviriaRibozymeRibozyviriaSatellite (biology)Secondary chromosomeSelf-replicationSidney W. FoxSingelaviriaSpiegelman's MonsterSpiraviridaeSubviral agentsSulphobesSynthetic virologyTandem repeatTelomerase reverse transcriptaseThaspiviridaeTi plasmidTolecusatellitidaeTransposable elementTranspovironTrophosomeVaridnaviriaVendobiontaViral vectorViriformViroidViromeVirophageVirulence factorVirusVirusoidVolcanoVolvereviriaWaterXenobotXigoviridaeYamazakiviridae
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