Hello there Keith63,
The simplest one we know of. That basic unit of living things. Using bacteria as an example, something with DNA or RNA, a cell membrane(and many times a cell wall), and cytoplasm which contains the enzymes, protein (I know enzymes are made from proteins), and any other structures needed to replicate, capture and use energy(changing it to ATP), a way to regulate what enters and leaves the cell, and any other of that simple stuff that a cell needs to be alive.
Your average bacterium is pretty complicated, I agree. There are all sorts of proteins knocking about that are required for them to function properly; I doubt you’ll find much argument with that and you seem to be taking a lot of comfort from that fact. The trouble is, as people keep on pointing out to you: no-one is saying that an E. coli magically appeared out of a primordial soup. How about this for a sequence of events to discuss:
1 Formation of basic chemical building blocks from said soup
2 First self-replicating molecules leading to RNA/DNA
3 Protection of RNA/DNA by lipid bilayer
4 Proteins start getting encoded by DNA
5 Proteins start helping ‘proto-cell’ survive better for example by providing structural integrity or improving protein synthesis or enzymatic reactions
6 Lots and lots of small improvements over time leading to a ‘proper’ energy producing, dividing cell.
7. Eukaryotic cells
8. Multicellular organisms .I think you probably know the rest
The order of steps 1-4 are probably an intense cause for debate among evolutionists but as I am not an expert in the field, I will probably get pulled up on a few points by people more knowledgeable in this area — I’m just suggesting things based on my knowledge of cell biology. But at least it’s something to discuss more than that cells are just way ‘tooo’ complicated.
Note that point four is a very important step. I can feel you wanting to point out that protein synthesis involves proteins like those of the ribosome for example. Ask yourself this — isn’t it strange that the core components of protein sythesis require RNA to function?
And finally, remember that these things are supposed to have happened over millions of years, not knocked up in my Uncle’s shed over a couple of weekends. The fact that we have been unable to recreate life in a test tube should not be a great surprise and neither should it be used as an argument for a divinely created cell.