Matter

Matter is a generic term for any substance made of particles with mass. The term almost always refers to n-matter, the type of matter that makes up the vast majority of the Universe. However, the term matter can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing parallel matter (antimatter, negative matter and tachyonic matter) as well as exotic matter (matter that is not made of quarks or leptons) and dark matter (a substance that produces Gravity but does not have any mass). Neutrinos are sometimes also classified as matter, despite behaving similarly to radiation.

N-matter
N-matter, the n meaning normal, is the type of matter that commonly exists in the Universe. It consists almost exclusively of atoms, which themselves are made up of nuclei and electrons, held together by electromagnetism. The nuclei of n-matter atoms consist of protons and neutrons, which themselves consist of up-quarks and down-quarks held together by the Strong Force.

N-matter atoms exist in many varieties throughout the Universe, each distinct type being it's own chemical element. New atoms are created by nuclear fusion, which occurs naturally in stars. Atoms combine to form chemical compounds, which give rise to the huge variety of substances that exist in nature.

Generations of matter
The particles that make up matter exist in various generations, i.e. versions of themselves that have different masses. The only generation that is stable in nature is the first generation of matter, and all natural matter in the Universe is first generation. The first generation of matter contains the up-quark, the down-quark, the up-antiquark, the down-antiquark, the electron, the positron and the n-neutrino (electron neutrino).

Second and third generation matter comprise heavier quarks and leptons, and these can by synthesised using simple particle accelerators. Higher generations than this require equilism. Generations lighter than first generation matter (prime generations) require laxism.

For more information see: Generations of matter.