Queues are fundamental data structures that operate on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle, meaning the first element added to the queue is the first one to be removed. This concept mirrors real-life scenarios, such as people waiting in line for service. In addition to standard queues, there are priority queues, where elements are served based on their priority rather than their order of arrival. Queues are widely used in various applications, including task scheduling, data buffering, and managing requests in computer systems. Understanding queues is essential for efficient algorithm design and resource management in programming.