- The cell must be able to divide and produce one like itself to throw a second generation on the mercy of natural elimination. Picture this: A cell wall surrounds a DNA molecule. As the molecule grows, it gets too big for its britches you might say, and the cell tends to divide. The extending part of the existing cell will surround a second DNA strand and finally leave the mother ship. Voila, we get more of the same kinds of cells: MULTIPLICATION.
- The first type of cell (like plants of today) takes in nonliving chemicals and converts them into some useful part of themselves. Other cells (like animals) follow and like to absorb other living cells for their growth. None of these creatures are really alive yet, but the pattern is set.
- Some longer proteins can stick out of both sides of the cell wall and change shape when they come near a certain chemical. If the chemical might harm the cell, the protein bends away. These same proteins can also change shape if something goes on inside. The whole cell moves (not much different from a bacterium), and Dr. Frankenstein shouts, "It's alive!" Not yet, doctor, but those cells reacting to good food and moving towards nutrition will be more successful then stationary ones: MOTION.
- As a chemical changes inside a cell, the cell uses the energy from it and expels any unused portion: DIGESTION.
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Long hairs34 stick out of the cell and can attach or talk to other cells. Talk between cells of any type certainly raises the chances of survival: BRAIN and NERVOUS SYSTEM.
- If these hairy types can be called male, they can play around with another hairless cell, a female, with the male cell sending some DNA into the female cell: SEX.
We are there. Maybe.
