Antiparticles are the counterparts to the particles that make up our universe. For every particle, like an electron, there exists an antiparticle called a positron. These antiparticles have the same mass as their corresponding particles but carry opposite charges. When a particle and its antiparticle meet, they can annihilate each other, releasing energy in the form of gamma rays. The concept of antiparticles is a fundamental part of quantum physics and helps scientists understand the universe's structure. They were first predicted by physicist Paul Dirac in the 1920s and later discovered in experiments. Antiparticles play a crucial role in various fields, including particle physics and cosmology.