The constituent particles of matter, as currently understood in the framework of particle physics, are quarks and leptons, along with their corresponding antiparticles. These particles are considered elementary, meaning they are not believed to be composed of smaller components.
Quarks are the fundamental building blocks of particles such as protons and neutrons, which are collectively known as hadrons. There are six types, or flavors, of quarks: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom. Quarks have fractional electric charges and interact through the strong nuclear force.
Leptons, on the other hand, do not participate in the strong nuclear force. They include particles such as electrons, muons, and taus, as well as their corresponding neutrinos. Leptons have integer electric charges and are not affected by the strong nuclear force. Neutrinos are electrically neutral and have very little mass.
In addition to quarks and leptons, there are also force-carrying particles called gauge bosons. These include the photon, which mediates the electromagnetic force, as well as the W and Z bosons, which are responsible for the weak nuclear force. The gluon mediates the strong nuclear force.
The Higgs boson, discovered in 2012, is another particle of great significance. It interacts with other particles and is associated with the mechanism by which particles acquire mass.
It's worth noting that our understanding of particle physics is based on the current state of scientific knowledge, and further discoveries or advancements may refine or expand our understanding of matter's constituent particles.