The simplest chemical units demonstrating autopoiesis are that catalyze the production of their own surfactant building blocks from precursor molecules. These micelles are capable of sustaining and reproducing themselves by internal chemical reactions that generate more surfactant molecules, which then assemble into new micelles, thus closing the autopoietic loop.
The simplest chemical units exhibiting autopoiesis are self-reproducing vesicles or micelles capable of producing their own building materials internally and thereby reproducing themselves. These systems consist of surfactant molecules that spontaneously assemble into vesicles or micelles, which catalyze the production of more surfactant molecules from precursor chemicals in their environment, enabling self-maintenance and self-reproduction[1][3].
Specifically, experimental models have demonstrated vesicles formed by surfactants produced through hydrolysis of precursor molecules, where the vesicles’ surfaces catalyze the reaction that generates new surfactants. This creates a feedback loop sustaining the vesicle population autonomously, a minimal chemical autopoietic system[3].
Moreover, some recent computational and theoretical models suggest that autopoiesis might not strictly require a topological boundary (like a membrane), but can also emerge in minimal autocatalytic networks that maintain their distinctness through metabolic boundaries or molecular interactions without a defined internal volume[4].
In summary:
– The simplest chemical autopoietic units are self-reproducing vesicles or micelles that produce their own surfactant components internally[1][3].
– These vesicles catalyze the formation of their building blocks from precursor molecules, enabling self-maintenance and reproduction.
– Minimal autopoietic systems can also be conceptualized as autocatalytic molecular networks that maintain organization without a strict membrane boundary[4].
Thus, self-reproducing vesicles formed by surfactants represent the simplest experimentally studied chemical autopoietic units.
Read More
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000926149400689X
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autopoiesis
[3] https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jp960524e
[4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11201707/
[5] http://grahamberrisford.com/AM%204%20System%20theory/SystemTheory/ChallengingSystemsThinkers/14%20The%20allopoietic%20enterprise.htm
[6] https://philarchive.org/archive/BICSA
[7] http://pcp.vub.ac.be/Papers/COT-ApplicationSurvey.pdf
[8] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/mathematics/autopoiesis
[9] https://direct.mit.edu/artl/article/26/1/5/93263/An-Investigation-into-the-Origin-of-Autopoiesis