This document discusses how email works by describing the key components involved in email transmission and storage. It explains that email uses a store-and-forward model where messages are sent via SMTP and stored on a mail server until the recipient retrieves it using either POP3 or IMAP. SMTP is the protocol that sends messages between servers over TCP port 25, while POP3 and IMAP are the protocols that clients use to retrieve messages from port 110 and 143 respectively. Common email clients include Outlook, Thunderbird, and web-based options like Gmail and Yahoo Mail.