Explain IPv4 addressing system and its use in computer networks.

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IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) is the original and most widely used version of the Internet Protocol, used to identify and locate a device within a network with a numerical address. It uses a 32-bit number, divided into four parts called octets separated by dots, with each octet a number between 0 and 255 (e.g., 192.168.0.1). Since it uses 32 bits, IPv4 can create about 4.3 billion (2^32) unique addresses. IPv4 addresses are used in computer networks - including homes, schools, and offices - to identify each connected device and allow it to send and receive data, with certain ranges (such as 192.168.0.0-192.168.255.255) reserved for private, local networks.