Intrinsic parameters refer to the internal characteristics of a camera that affect how it captures images. These parameters include the focal length, the optical center, and the lens distortion. They are essential for understanding how a camera translates the three-dimensional world into a two-dimensional image. In the context of computer vision and photography, intrinsic parameters are crucial for tasks like image rectification and 3D reconstruction. By knowing these parameters, software can accurately interpret the images taken by a camera, such as those from a smartphone or a digital camera, ensuring better quality and precision in visual data analysis.