In computer science and cryptography, parity refers to a method of error detection in data storage systems where an extra bit is added to each byte of data to ensure that the total number of bits with a value of 1 is either even (even parity) or odd (odd parity). This allows for the detection of single-bit errors in the data transmission process. Parity checking is commonly used in RAID systems, memory storage, and communication protocols to ensure data integrity.