In Django, what is the purpose of a model in the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture?

In the MVC architecture of Django, the model component is responsible for managing database operations. It defines the structure and behavior of data within the application, including creating, reading, updating, and deleting records. Models in Django are typically Python classes that interact with the database through an object-relational mapper (ORM), abstracting away low-level database operations and providing a high-level interface for working with data. This separation of concerns enhances code organization and maintainability in Django projects.