Electrons and photons are called elementary particles because (at least as far as we know) they are not made up of smaller particles. Really, really tiny things like cells are made of scads of tinier units called molecules, which are in turn made up of atoms. A human body is made up of trillions of cells, and each one of those cells is made up of quadrillions of atoms. But atoms are made of even smaller particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons and neutrons are made up of quarks held together by strong forces called gluons.
Quarks
and electrons seem to be fundamental particles—not made up of
smaller parts. The forces, including gluons and photons, seem to be
fundamental as well.
Learn
more about particle physics at The Particle Adventure.
It really isn't so VERY difficult to understand what stuff is made
of, although we do have quite a few named items in the list of
fundamentals: 16, to be exact. The great scientist Enrico Fermi once
said, "Young man, if I could
remember the names of these particles, I would have been a botanist!"
Another
easy-to-understand website is Etacude.
Also
on this date...
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