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In particle physics
Particle physics

Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the elementary particle constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactions between them....
, the term particle zoo is used colloquially to describe a relatively extensive list of the known elementary particles that almost look like hundreds of species in the zoo.

The situation was particularly confusing in the late 1960s, before the discovery of quarks, when hundreds of strongly interacting particles (hadron
Hadron

In particle physics, a hadron is a bound state of quarks. Hadrons are held together by the strong interaction, similarly to how molecules are held together by the electromagnetic force....
s) were known. It turned out later that they were not elementary but rather composites of the quark
Quark

Quarks are a type of elementary particle and major constituents of matter. They are the only particles in the Standard Model to experience all four fundamental interaction, which are also known as fundamental interactions....
s.






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In particle physics
Particle physics

Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the elementary particle constituents of matter and radiation, and the interactions between them....
, the term particle zoo is used colloquially to describe a relatively extensive list of the known elementary particles that almost look like hundreds of species in the zoo.

The situation was particularly confusing in the late 1960s, before the discovery of quarks, when hundreds of strongly interacting particles (hadron
Hadron

In particle physics, a hadron is a bound state of quarks. Hadrons are held together by the strong interaction, similarly to how molecules are held together by the electromagnetic force....
s) were known. It turned out later that they were not elementary but rather composites of the quark
Quark

Quarks are a type of elementary particle and major constituents of matter. They are the only particles in the Standard Model to experience all four fundamental interaction, which are also known as fundamental interactions....
s. The set of particles believed today to be elementary is known as the Standard Model
Standard Model

The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory of three of the four known fundamental interactions and the elementary particles that take part in these interactions....
.

According to string theory
String theory

String theory is a developing branch of theoretical physics that combines quantum mechanics and general relativity into a quantum gravity. The String s of string theory are one-dimensional oscillating lines, but they are no longer considered fundamental to the theory, which can be formulated in terms of points or surfaces too....
, all particles in the "zoo" have a common ancestor, namely a vibrating string.

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