MIME 
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions 
A specification that makes it possible to send multimedia e-mail messages over the Internet, enables Web browsers to display content that is not in HTML format, and allows data files (such as audio, video, images, and application programs) to be exchanged via the Internet. For example, when you click in a Web page containing an image, the Web site's server inserts a MIME header at the beginning of the transmission; when your browser downloads the page, it reads that header and invokes the appropriate player to display that graphic.