Can you explain what is meant by machine code in the context of programming?

Machine code is a set of instructions that are directly executed by a computer's processor. It is represented in the form of binary numbers (0s and 1s) and is the lowest-level programming language.

When we write a program in a high-level language, such as Python, it is first interpreted or compiled into machine code that the processor understands. Machine code controls the operation of hardware components, performing operations with memory, arithmetic, control flow, etc.

Example: a processor instruction might look like a sequence of bytes that says "load value into register" or "perform addition". Reading machine code is difficult for humans, so programming languages and assemblers are used.