Our current understanding of particle physics suggests that the fundamental building blocks of matter are quarks and leptons. Quarks are elementary particles that combine to form composite particles called hadrons, such as protons and neutrons. Leptons, on the other hand, include particles like electrons and neutrinos.
Dark matter, however, is distinct from the matter we are familiar with. Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that does not interact with light or other electromagnetic radiation, making it invisible and difficult to detect directly. Its presence is inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter and structures in the universe.
While dark matter is thought to make up a significant portion of the total matter in the universe, it is not composed of quarks or the same type of particles as ordinary matter. The exact nature of dark matter remains unknown, and it is an active area of research in astrophysics and particle physics.
Therefore, the matter in our universe, at its smallest particles, consists of quarks and leptons, while dark matter is a separate component that interacts gravitationally but does not consist of the same particles as ordinary matter.