The Virtual DOM is an in-memory representation of the real DOM elements. React uses it to update the actual DOM efficiently, minimizing direct manipulation and thereby improving performance. By comparing the current Virtual DOM with the previous one, React calculates the minimal number of changes required, then updates the real DOM accordingly.

React Hooks are a feature that allows you to use state and other React features without writing a class component. With Hooks like useState and useEffect, managing state and side-effects becomes cleaner and more straightforward, making your codebase easier to maintain and understand.

JSX stands for JavaScript XML. It allows you to write HTML elements and components with JavaScript. Although it’s not a requirement for building React apps, it makes the code more readable and easier to write, offering a syntax familiar to those who have experience with HTML and XML.

Components are the building blocks of any React application, encapsulating the logic, structure, and style for a UI piece. There are mainly two types of React components: Functional and Class components. Functional components are simpler and easier to test, while Class components are generally used for more complex logic and state management.

Props, short for “properties,” are variables passed from a parent component to a child component. They make components reusable by giving them dynamic values. Props are read-only and should not be modified inside the child component; any modification should happen in the parent component.