A meson is a subatomic particle made up of one quark and one antiquark, while a baryon is made up of three quarks. Mesons are considered to be bosons, while baryons are fermions.
Quarks interact through the strong nuclear force, which is mediated by gluons. In mesons, the quark and antiquark are held together by the exchange of gluons. In baryons, the three quarks are held together by a combination of gluon exchange and the Pauli exclusion principle.
Mesons have integer spin numbers (0, 1, 2, etc.), which is a characteristic of bosons. Baryons have half-integer spin numbers (1/2, 3/2, etc.), which is a characteristic of fermions. This is due to the different ways in which quarks combine to form these particles.
The interactions of mesons and baryons play a key role in the formation and stability of atomic nuclei. The strong nuclear force, which is mediated by mesons, is responsible for binding protons and neutrons together in the nucleus. Baryons, being the building blocks of protons and neutrons, make up the majority of the mass of atomic nuclei.
Yes, mesons and baryons can also interact with other particles through the electromagnetic and weak nuclear forces. For example, baryons can undergo beta decay, in which a neutron decays into a proton, electron, and antineutrino, through the weak force. Mesons can also interact with other mesons and baryons through the strong nuclear force.