Backticks, also known as grave accents, are special characters used in programming and markup languages. They are typically found on the keyboard, usually located to the left of the number 1 key. In languages like JavaScript, backticks are used to create template literals, allowing for multi-line strings and string interpolation. In Markdown, backticks are used to format text as code. A single backtick is used for inline code, while triple backticks can enclose blocks of code. This helps distinguish code from regular text, making it easier to read and understand in documentation and tutorials.