Which term describes the structure that organizes and stores data records in computing?

The term that best describes the structure that organizes and stores data records in computing is a database. A database is a systematic collection of data that can be easily accessed, managed, and updated. It allows for the efficient organization of data, enabling the storage of data records in a structured manner, often using tables, which can include multiple attributes and relationships between different datasets.

While a file can contain data records, it typically refers to a single unit of storage on a disk that holds data, and it may not necessarily be organized for complex querying or management like a database. A directory usually refers to a file system structure that contains references to other files and folders, but it is not specifically for organizing data records in terms of storage and retrieval. A collection is a more general term that can refer to a group of objects or data, but it lacks the specificity and structured nature of a database.

Thus, a database is the most appropriate term that encompasses the organizational and storage functions specific to data records in computing.