What particles are our body's made up of?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bigpapi777
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Particles
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the composition of the human body at the particle level, exploring the types of particles that make up matter, including atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons, and other subatomic particles. Participants also touch on concepts from quantum physics and the nature of particles in relation to the human body.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that the human body is made of atoms, which consist of electrons, protons, neutrons, and possibly pions.
  • Others question the exclusion of photons and neutrinos, suggesting that these particles are fundamental to the structure of quarks and thus indirectly part of matter.
  • There is a discussion about the validity of including pions in the list of particles that make up the body, with some participants expressing skepticism about their relevance.
  • One participant proposes that photons should be considered as part of the composition of the body, arguing that people can be said to be made of light.
  • Concerns are raised about the accuracy of statements regarding causality violations at the quantum level.
  • Participants discuss the number of known particles, with some suggesting there are around 400, while others challenge this figure and note that it depends on the area of expertise.
  • There is a mention of the holographic principle and its implications for understanding the universe, though its relevance to the discussion is debated.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the qualifications of sources of information regarding particle physics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the specific particles that make up the human body, with multiple competing views presented regarding the inclusion of photons, pions, and the interpretation of quantum mechanics. The discussion remains unresolved on several points.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding definitions of particles, assumptions about their roles, and the speculative nature of some claims, particularly concerning the holographic principle and the nature of light in relation to matter.

Bigpapi777
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
are they made up of the same as particles in physics?
 
Biology news on Phys.org
If you are referring to particles which are smaller than atoms, then yes. But of course you have to be more specific.
 
like are they made up of photons or electrons?
 
Except "real men". They are made up of Real Stuff. :smile:
 
Welcome to PF!

Hi Bigpapi777! Welcome to PF! :smile:

Our bodies are made of atoms.

The atoms are made of electrons protons neutrons and pions (but no photons or neutrinos).

The protons neutrons and pions are made of quarks. :smile:
 
Isn't it a not so entirely accurate statement to say "not photons or neutrinos" as these are a fundamental building block of quarks, absorbed wave/particle duality or not...they are in there however disregarded!
 
is was told that particles at the quantum level always violate causality,is this true?
 


tiny-tim said:
The atoms are made of electrons protons neutrons and pions (but no photons or neutrinos).


?

rebeka said:
Isn't it a not so entirely accurate statement to say "not photons or neutrinos" as these are a fundamental building block of quarks, absorbed wave/particle duality or not...they are in there however disregarded!

Quarks are considered elementary particles, with no known "building blocks".
 
My apologies what I meant to say was "Isn't it a not so entirely accurate statement to say "not photons or neutrinos" as these are a fundamental building block of neutrons and protons when combined with quarks, absorbed wave/particle duality or not...they are in there however disregarded!" Also most modern beyond standard model texts do concur that even quarks are made up of even finer still particles para-example string theory... Not that I really want to get to picky with this as it is a pretty speculative field in general.

If I'm correct larger quarks do decay and also release nutrinos...
 
  • #10
Why did you highlight PIONS? Let me add W BOSONS!
 
  • #11
I think the best answer is either electrons, protons, and neutrons, OR electrons, up-quarks, and down-quarks. In short, the stuff that ordinary atoms are made of. I was questioning the inclusion of pions in this list.

The original question was not for a list of all known fundamental particles, just the ones that make up our bodies.
 
  • #12
pion cloud?

Redbelly98 said:
… the stuff that ordinary atoms are made of. I was questioning the inclusion of pions in this list.

Hi Redbelly98! :smile:

I was thinking of the "pion cloud" that's supposed to surround a nucleon … or is that just a convenient mathematical fiction?

(nobody talks of a "photon cloud" round an electron … so I sort-of assumed pions clouds actually exist :confused:)
 
  • #13
Ah, okay.

It has been a long time since I took courses in this stuff, and particle physics was not my specialty. But I'll buy that explanation.
 
  • #14
so our bodies are made of electrons?
 
  • #15
Bigpapi777 said:
like are they made up of photons or electrons?

This was part of the question and I'm saying photons are included in the very long list of particles that make up not only the human body but all of everything and these are covered under the topic of nuclear physics, chemistry and so forth...... I say this because for some very odd reason photons tend to be disregarded as a particle that makes up matter.

Can we say people are made up of light? I say yes we can!
(I think we can make a vote on this)

And yes the theoretical conversation as to why I believe we can say this and the listing of all particles is a discussion for another forum.
 
  • #16
how many particles are known of? i think i read 410
 
  • #17
Hi Bigpapi777! :smile:
Bigpapi777 said:
so our bodies are made of electrons?

Electrons going around nuclei (which are made of protons and neutrons, and maybe pions).
rebeka said:
… I'm saying photons are included in the very long list of particles that make up not only the human body …

Can we say people are made up of light? I say yes we can!
(I think we can make a vote on this)

Hi rebeka! :smile:

There are no photons in atoms …

just because an electron sometimes emits a photon, that doesn't mean it was there in the first place … :wink:

Holograms are made of light … bodies are made of matter! :smile:
 
  • #18
You obviously didn't read the article Holographic Universe in Sci Ams special nuclear edition a few years back........ da da ching

as to how many particles are known the answers is oh god......depends on what your area of expertise is...I like dots.......
 
  • #19
im no expert,what i meant is how many known are they around 400?
 
  • #20
rebeka said:
You obviously didn't read the article Holographic Universe in Sci Ams special nuclear edition a few years back........ da da ching

as to how many particles are known the answers is oh god......depends on what your area of expertise is...I like dots.......
Hi, the concept of the holographic principle has nothing to do with everything being made up of light. This isn't something I'm familiar with so see here:
[PLAIN]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holographic_principle said:
The[/PLAIN] physical universe is widely seen to be composed of "matter" and "energy". In his 2003 article published in Scientific American magazine, Jacob Bekenstein summarized a current trend started by John Archibald Wheeler, a collaborator of Albert Einstein, which suggests scientists may "regard the physical world as made of information, with energy and matter as incidentals.

Bigpapi777 said:
im no expert,what i meant is how many known are they around 400?
I don't think there are 400 elementary particles. See here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_particles
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #21
well the guy who told me i don't know what to think of what he said.how about i put the conversation on here,and could you guys help me out?
 
  • #22
It depends on what exactly he said. More importantly what is his level of qualifications? There's a lot of junk science books out there which miscontrue modern theories of physics to mislead the public for their own purposes , so it's hard to tell if that guy is wrong unless you're an expert or have been doing some reading yourself.
 
Last edited:
  • #23
im no expert at all,im open to learn
 
  • #24
Bigpapi777 said:
well the guy who told me i don't know what to think of what he said.how about i put the conversation on here,and could you guys help me out?

Hi Bigpapi777! :smile:

Yes, that's best …

but if he was relying on some article or paper he'd read, find out what it is first, so you can give us the reference! :wink:
 
  • #25
Bigpapi777 said:
are they made up of the same as particles in physics?

Yes. Biology does not violate the laws of physics, so I'm not sure why you would think otherwise.

This thread is all over the place. This is a basic question so I moved it from med sciences to biology, but after reading all the replies, I don't see much reason to keep it open.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
6K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
541
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K