Preanimate matter

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

Preanimate matter is the building blocks of organic life. It is not truly alive, but displays potential.

While scanning Ceti Alpha V in conjunction with Project Genesis, the USS Reliant detected a minor energy flux reading on one of the ship's dynoscanners, leading the crew to believe that the scanner was out of adjustment, that it contained life or that a particle of preanimate matter was caught in the matrix. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)