When describing memory, is the first component required in the process necessary for retention?

Depends on how deep you're willing to go to really,
You need one of a few arrangements of flip flop circuits to keep 1-bit state.
Going deeper, you need either NAND, or NOR gates(or a bunch of other ones) and connectors.
Even deeper, you'll require diodes or transistors to build the logic gates.
Beyond that is particle physics.

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