Full form of TCP is Transmission Control Protocol.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is used for communication between applications. Its major functions are breaking up and assembling data.

If one application wants to speak with another via TCP, it sends a communication request. This request must be sent to a particular address. After a handshake between the two applications, TCP will set up a communication between the two applications until it is closed by one of the two applications.

TCP/IP is the communication protocol between computers on the Internet. Together they are known as TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.

TCP/IP defines how electronic devices (like computers) should be connected to the web , and the way data should be transmitted between them.

These pair TCP/IP protocol refers to a collection of Internet Protocol suite information on the Internet is carried in packets like envelopes carrying message. Each packet has an address of the sender and the recipient. This address is called IP address. It is similar to a letter send by a postal service.

A packet is a set of rules which the computers use to communicate with each other.

TCP protocol, a single large message is divided into smaller packets and each is put into IP packet. The packets are passed from one network to a different till they reach their destination. At the destination, the TCP software re-assemble the packets into a complete message.

TCP detects the problems of network congestion, traffic load balancing, request retransmission of lost packets, out of order packets and even help minimize network congestion to reduce the occurrence of other problems.