I am a firm believer in evolution, but I like to split hairs. If he first phospholipid bilayer membranes formed along with primitive RNA and DNA genetic molecules and the membranes adsorbed proteins and the hereditary DNA/RNA material and from these organic molecules formed, where are they now? Surely they would be as abundant in the world as bacteria today? Excuse my ignorance if this is so.

There is absolutely no reason why un-evolved examples of the first living cells would be living today.

I think it most likely that the very first cells were so primitive they were out competed and made extinct way before multi-celled organisms formed.

Something like 99% of all life that has ever existed has gone extinct. I see no reason to think the "species" that was the first cell would have survived.

MJ, don't be too sure - have you seen the FARMS staff recently...?

I agree with MJ. Bacteria are around because they evolve and adapt at such a rapid pace to changing circumstances. This evolution has made them into what they are today - resilient to the challenges of today's life. I doubt the membranes could compete long enough (4 billion years) without evolving into something tougher, say... us.

I think 99% is a gross understatement on the number of lifeforms that have gone extinct. I'd attach a decimal with several more 9's after it.

And I would bet the first living cells were much closer to a virus than a modern cell with "phospholipid bilayer membranes" and RNA.

"...the first phosolipid bilayer membranes...primitive RNA and DNA...where are they now?"

There are still with us: they are called 7th grade boys. :-)

These are referred to as Prokaryotes and they do not possess many of the same structures as cells we often study in biology. These cells have no nuclear membrane - their DNA is typically a ring that exists within the cell - and they lack most of the cellular organelles we learn about with most cells in elementary biology which are Eukaryotes. This link compares the basic differences between the two different types of cells. Please take no offense at its elementary nature.

http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit1/proeu/proeu.html

In my research about biological genesis, I have read that a number of subsequent experiments resulting in the creation of proteins and polypeptides as well as some nucleotides base molecules that make up DNA and RNA would form small sphere in water. This was a result of these polypeptides possessing qualities that did not allow them to mix with water similar to how oil and water separate. These spheres would develop what appeared as a kind of semi-permeable membrane as they would allow water repelling chemical in while keeping other which dissolve in water out of the spheres. When the spheres "grew" to a certain size, they became unstable and they would eventually break apart (or divide) creating new smaller spheres starting the process over. After these experiments were researched in laboratory, researchers discover similar sorts of spheres in the lava fields of Hawaii where recent lava flows met the ocean. No one has claimed that these spheres represent the creation of new life, but it is interesting to observe that the basic building blocks of life can be formed spontaneously from simple chemical components thought to have existed billions of years ago and that these recombined chemicals can come together naturally to form what appears to be a discrete unit which has some of the properties of living organisms.