What is the function of the ImageIO class in Java?

The ImageIO class in Java is a utility class used for reading, writing, and processing images. It provides a set of static methods that can be used to read images from sources such as files, URLs, input streams, and write images to files, output streams, and other targets. The ImageIO class also supports basic operations such as format conversion, scaling, cropping, and rotation of images. By using the ImageIO class, developers can easily handle images in Java applications.