Final answer:
The specifications that dictate read or write operations as part of a transaction in a database are known as queries.
Step-by-step explanation:
The components that specify read or write operations on the database items, which are executed as part of a transaction, are queries. Transactions consist of a sequence of database operations, which are atomic in nature; they either complete in their entirety or not at all. However, queries are the actual instructions that request reading (with SELECT) or modifying (with INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE) the data. Indexes are used to enhance the speed of data retrieval operations on a database. Constraints are rules applied to the data in the database to maintain the correct data integrity.