1. hypothetical primitive organisms or self-replicating molecules thought to have existed in the earliest stages of life on Earth before true cells evolved
Usage: scientific/technical term; plural form; singular is 'eobiont'; used in origin-of-life research and astrobiology

Examples

• Scientists theorize that eobionts may have been simple RNA molecules capable of self-replication.
• The study of eobionts helps researchers understand how life might have originated on early Earth.
• Eobionts are thought to have preceded the first true cells by millions of years.
• Laboratory experiments attempt to simulate the conditions under which eobionts could have formed.
• The transition from eobionts to cellular life remains one of biology's greatest mysteries.