Final answer:
Byte code is an intermediate code executed by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which allows Java to be platform-independent.
Step-by-step explanation:
Byte code is an intermediate code that a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) understands and executes. When a Java program is compiled, the source code is transformed into byte code, which is a non-machine-specific code. The JVM, a part of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), then interprets and executes this byte code on whatever platform it is running, making Java a platform-independent programming language.