Answer;
b. Their ability to pass on genetic information.
Step-by-step explanation;
-Protobionts are systems that are considered to have possibly been the precursors to prokaryotic cells. A protobiont is an aggregate of abiotically produced organic molecules surrounded by a membrane or a membrane-like structure.
-They exhibit some of the properties associated with life, including simple reproduction, metabolism and excitability, as well as the maintenance of an internal chemical environment different from that of their surroundings.