Explain how mocking can be used to isolate external dependencies during testing.

Mocking is a testing technique that involves creating mock objects or substitutes for real external dependencies, such as databases, APIs, or third-party services. By replacing real dependencies with mock objects, you can isolate the component you want to test. This isolation allows you to control the behavior of external dependencies, ensuring predictable and repeatable test scenarios. Mocking helps avoid issues like network calls or database updates during tests and enables you to focus solely on testing the component's logic. It also facilitates faster and more reliable testing as you can simulate different scenarios and edge cases without relying on external services.