9. Lipid World Hypothesis
The Lipid World Hypothesis posits that life originated from self-organizing lipid molecules that formed primitive cell membranes. (ui.adsabs.harvard.edu) In aqueous environments, amphiphilic lipids spontaneously assemble into bilayer structures, creating vesicles that encapsulate organic molecules. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) These lipid-based compartments could have provided a protected environment for chemical reactions, facilitating the emergence of early life forms. (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) This theory emphasizes the role of lipid assemblies in the prebiotic evolution of cellular life. (researchgate.net)