Final answer:
The database engine is responsible for data storage, manipulation, and retrieval in a DBMS. It is the core service for storing and processing data, ensuring reliable transactions and providing user interfaces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The database engine component is responsible for data storage, manipulation, and retrieval in a database management system (DBMS). The database engine, sometimes referred to as the storage engine, is the core service for storing, processing, and securing data. It ensures that transactions are processed reliably and provides an interface for users or applications to interact with the database. The other options such as data definition, data administration, and application generation serve different purposes. Data definition involves defining the structure of the data, data administration focuses on managing data resources and policies, and application generation usually refers to creating software applications for database interaction.