A minimal cell is one whose genome only encodes the minimal set of genes necessary for the cell to survive. Scientific reductionism postulates the best way to learn the first principles of cellular biology would be to use a minimal cell in which the functions of all genes and components are understood. The genes in a minimal cell are, by definition, essential. In 2016, synthesis of a genome comprised of only the set of essential and quasi-essential genes encoded by the bacterium Mycoplasma mycoides created a near-minimal bacterial cell. This organism performs the cellular functions common to all organisms. It replicates DNA, transcribes RNA, translates proteins, undergoes cell division, and little else. In this review, we examine this organism and contrast it with other bacteria that have been used as surrogates for a minimal cell.

中文翻译：

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最小的细胞-真实的和想象的。

最小细胞是指其基因组仅编码该细胞生存所需的最小基因集的细胞。科学还原论假定学习细胞生物学第一原理的最好方法是使用最小的细胞，在该细胞中可以理解所有基因和成分的功能。根据定义，最小细胞中的基因是必不可少的。2016年，仅由支原体支原体编码的一组必需和准必需基因组成的基因组合成就产生了近乎最小的细菌细胞。该生物体执行所有生物体共有的细胞功能。它可以复制DNA，转录RNA，翻译蛋白质，进行细胞分裂等。在这篇综述中，我们检查了这种生物并将其与其他已被用作最小细胞替代物的细菌进行了对比。