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A byte is a fundamental unit of digital information consisting of eight binary digits, or bits. Each byte can represent a single character (like a letter or number), a small piece of data, or a basic computer instruction. Bytes are the standard building blocks for measuring digital file sizes, memory capacity, and data transfer rates in computing.

Key Aspects of a Byte

Composition: A byte is made up of eight bits, where each bit is a binary digit that can be either a 0 or a 1. 

Representation: These eight bits can be arranged in different combinations, allowing for the representation of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and other special characters.

Function: Bytes are used to encode and decode information, store data in memory, and process instructions within a computer system.

Measurement: Computer storage and file sizes are measured in bytes. For example, a kilobyte (KB) is about a thousand bytes, a megabyte (MB) is about a million bytes, and a gigabyte (GB) is about a billion bytes. 

History: The term "byte" was coined by computer scientist Werner Buchholz in 1956 during the design of the IBM Stretch computer.