Nuclear Reactions: Changing the Hearts of Atoms

Biological reactions are physical and chemical reactions manifested in life-related phenomena such as growth, illness, and aging.

Physical reactions change the states of materials: melting, crystallization, dissolving, sublimation etc.

Chemical reactions change the identities of substances: oxidation, neutralization, decomposition, combination, exchange, etc.

Nuclear reactions change the identities of nuclides: capture of sub-atomic particles or photons, release of subatomic particles or photons (radioactive decay), exchange subatomic particles or photons, nuclear fission, and nuclear fusion.

Subatomic particles: electrons, protons, neutrons, muons, mesons, hadrons, and (fragments of) nuclei