Which of the following fundamental particles are responsible for mediating the fundamental forces?

Gauge bosons are indeed the particles responsible for mediating the fundamental forces in the universe. Each fundamental force has its associated gauge boson: for example, photons mediate electromagnetic forces, W and Z bosons mediate weak nuclear forces, and gluons are responsible for strong nuclear forces. Gravitons are theorized to mediate gravity, although they have not yet been experimentally confirmed.

The reason gauge bosons are essential in this context is that they are the carriers of the forces, allowing particles to interact with each other via the forces that govern the behavior of all matter and energy. In quantum field theory, interactions between particles are described in terms of the exchange of these gauge bosons, which fundamentally change the state of the interacting particles and thus bring about the various forces we observe.

Baryons, which include protons and neutrons, are composite particles made of quarks and do not mediate forces themselves; rather, they experience forces due to the exchange of gauge bosons. Leptons, such as electrons and neutrinos, are another class of fundamental particles but are not force carriers. Antiparticles are counterparts to particles with opposite charge or quantum numbers and do not play a role in force mediation; they also participate in interactions