That's exactly right! Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of elements.

Here's a breakdown:

* Element: A pure substance consisting of only one type of atom. For example, gold is an element made up of only gold atoms.

* Atom: The smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that element. Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

So, you can think of it this way:

* Elements are like LEGO sets.

* Atoms are like the individual LEGO bricks.

You can't build a LEGO house without individual bricks, and you can't have a piece of gold without gold atoms!