The smallest known form of life, such as bacteria, consists of complex cellular structures containing millions to billions of atoms. However, when it comes to the smallest self-replicating structures, scientists have made significant progress in studying and creating synthetic minimal cells or protocells.
Protocells are simplified versions of cells that possess some essential characteristics of life, such as self-replication or metabolism. They are constructed from minimal sets of molecules, including lipids and genetic material, and are often much simpler than natural cells.
In recent years, scientists have managed to create protocells that are significantly smaller than natural cells. Some synthetic minimal cells contain as few as a few hundred thousand atoms. These minimal protocells have simplified structures, limited functionalities, and are still a subject of ongoing research.
It is important to note that the exact size and complexity of the smallest self-replicating structure are still areas of active scientific investigation. Researchers are continuously exploring and developing new techniques to create and study increasingly smaller and simpler protocells in order to gain insights into the fundamental processes of life and its origins.