Kubernetes consists of several key components, including the master node (control plane) and worker nodes, which collectively manage and run containerized applications. Other components include etcd, kubelet, kube-proxy, and various controllers.

Kubernetes offers benefits such as scalability, fault tolerance, automated application deployment and management, efficient resource utilization, service discovery, and rolling updates, making it easier to manage and scale applications in a distributed environment.

Helm is a popular package manager for Kubernetes, which simplifies application deployment. It is widely used and recommended for managing complex applications on Kubernetes, making it beneficial to learn.

Istio provides advanced networking capabilities for microservices running on Kubernetes, offering features like traffic management, observability, and security. It is highly relevant for managing distributed systems.