Biometric authentication is a system that uses unique physiological characteristics of individuals, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris patterns, and voice recognition, to verify their identity. These authenticating traits are more difficult to replicate than traditional passwords or PINs, providing a higher level of security. Biometric systems analyze and convert these traits into digital templates that are stored in secure databases. When an individual attempts to access a system, their biometric data is compared against the stored templates to authenticate their identity, ensuring that only authorized users can gain access.