Baryonic

/bæriˈɒnɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or composed of baryons, which are heavy subatomic particles like protons and neutrons that make up most ordinary matter.

Etymology

From baryon (from Greek 'barys' meaning heavy + '-on' suffix for particles) + '-ic' suffix meaning 'of or relating to.' The term was coined in the mid-20th century as particle physics developed.

Kelly Says

Here's the wild part: about 99% of the mass in your body comes from baryonic matter—mainly the protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei—yet we still don't fully understand why matter exists at all instead of annihilating with antimatter at the Big Bang!

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