The first battery-powered prototype cells. Inside these fatty acid bubbles, RNA started to act as both a blueprint and a worker. 

Between the development of metabolic pathways and the formation of cellular membranes, there might have been a phase involving the assembly of protocells. These protocells, formed from self-assembled lipid molecules creating vesicles, could encapsulate nucleic acids and metabolic molecules, offering a primitive model for cell-like structures. Protocells represent a bridge between non-living chemical systems and the first living cells, showcasing the potential for life-like behaviors without full biological complexity.