The smallest unit of living matter that can reproduce itself and carry genetic information.
From bio- (life) + -on (particle/unit suffix, like electron, proton). Hypothetical term from early 1900s theoretical biology, though not widely adopted as scientific terminology.
Scientists debated what the smallest 'piece' of life could be—a bion would theoretically be alive and able to reproduce, but viruses (which need cells) challenge this definition and blur the line between living and non-living.
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