What is a mysql driver in java?

Could someone explain to me what exactly is a driver and what would be using it with mysql?

It's been a while since I started watching JBDC videos and the word "Drivers" is constantly being used, and with Google's response, it's not enough for me to understand how it links to mysql.

This is a sample code that is what I learned so far with mysql in java.

try {
            //1. Conectarse a la base de datos.
            Connection coneccion = DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:mysql://localhost:8889/Java", "root", "root");

            //2.Crear el statement.
            Statement statement = coneccion.createStatement();

            //3.Generar una consulta.
            ResultSet resultado = statement.executeQuery("SELECT * FROM Productos");

            //4.Leer el resulset.       
            while ( resultado.next() ) {

                String idArt = resultado.getString(1);
                String seccionArt = resultado.getString(2);
                String nombreArt = resultado.getString(3);

                System.out.println("ID: " + idArt + ". Seccion: " + seccionArt + ". Nombre: " + nombreArt );

            }