Elementary Comic

The Fermions (Quarks and Leptons) are the most fundamental building blocks for all matter. But without the force carriers, matter cannot exist.

The strong interaction, carried by gluon, holds the quarks together to create the protons and the neutrons, and also keeps the protons and neutrons together in the nucleus.

The electromagnetic force carried by photons is responsible for the interaction and attraction of positive ad negative charges, thus holds the electron close to the positively charged nucleus.

When the weak interaction changes the flavors of quarks inside a nucleus, the neutron can decay into a proton (and an electron and (anti)neutrino to keep the balance of energy, momentum and charges) – without it we would not have any protons and hence matter.

Gravity, being the weakest force of all and thus overruled by the strong interactive force on atomic level, works on an in theory infinite range (with decreasing force), attracting larger masses, thus making our Universe possible in a way that actually matters.