A gluon is a fundamental particle that acts as the force carrier for the strong nuclear force. This force is responsible for binding quarks together to form composite particles, such as protons and neutrons, within the atomic nucleus. Gluons mediate the interaction between quarks via the exchange of momentum, defining the characteristic properties of Quantum Chromodynamics. Unlike other force carriers, gluons carry color charge themselves, which allows them to interact with each other. This self-interaction is essential to the unique dynamics of the strong force, which governs the structure and stability of hadronic matter within the periodic table of particles.