proton

A proton is a positively charge particle that resides within the atomic nucleus. The number of protons in the atomic
nucleus is what determines the atomic number of an element, as outlined in the periodic table of the elements.

The proton has charge +1 (or, alternately, 1.602 x 10-19 Coulombs), the exact opposite of the -1 charge contained by
the electron. In mass, however, there is no contest - the proton's mass is approximately 1,836 times that of an
electron.

Discovery of the Proton

The proton was discovered by Ernest Rutherford in 1918 (though the concept had been earlier suggested by the
work of Eugene Goldstein). The proton was long believed to be an elementary particle until the discovery of quarks.
In the quark model, it is now understood that the proton is comprised of two up quarks and one down quark,
mediated by gluons in the Standard Model of quantum physics.

neutron
A neutron is a subatomic particle contained in the atomic nucleus. It has no net electric charge, unlike the proton's
positive electric charge. The number of neutrons in an atomic nucleus determines the isotope of that element.

Discovery of the Neutron

The first hint of the neutron's existence came in 1930, when Walther Bothe and H. Becker found that when alpha
radiation fell on elements like lithium and boron a new form of radiation was emitted. Initially, this radiation was
believed to be a type of gamma radiation, but it was more penetrating than any known gamma radiation. Work by
Irene Joliot-Curie and Frederic Joliot in 1932, though not disproving the gamma radiation hypothesis, did not
particularly support it either.

In 1932, James Chadwick proved that these results couldn't be explained by gamma rays and proposed an alternate
explanation of uncharged particles approximately the same size as a proton. He was able to experimentally verify
this conjecture and thus prove that the neutron existed.

nucleus

The nucleus is a membrane bound structure that contains the cell's hereditary information and controls the cell's
growth and reproduction. It is commonly the most prominent organelle in thecell.

The nucleus is surrounded by a structure called the nuclear envelope. This membrane separates the contents of the
nucleus from the cytoplasm. The cell's chromosomes are also housed within the nucleus. Chromosomes
contain DNA which provides the genetic information necessary for the production of other cell components and for
the reproduction of life.