We show that the electromagnetic quantum vacuum plays a primary role in gravitation and cosmology. - Photons are local oscillations of the electromagnetic vacuum field guided by a non-local vector potential wave function - The vacuum electric permittivity and magnetic permeability are intrinsic properties of the electromagnetic vacuum. - We show that the electron-positron elementary charge derive naturally from the electromagnetic quantum vacuum - The masses of all particles (leptons, mesons, baryons) and antiparticles are manifestations of the elementary charges and their corresponding magnetic moments. - The gravitation constant G is also related directly to the electromagnetic quantum vacuum putting in evidence the electromagnetic ...