What does one byte consist of?

One byte consists of eight bits. This standard is foundational in computer science and digital electronics. A bit is the smallest unit of data in a computer, representing a binary state of either 0 or 1. When you combine eight of these bits into a single unit, you form a byte, which can represent 256 different values (from 0 to 255 in decimal notation). This grouping of bits allows for the encoding of a wide range of characters and data types, which is essential for processing information in computers and digital devices. Hence, the definition of a byte as eight bits is widely accepted and used across various computing systems and data protocols.