Explain the Role of a Merkle Tree in Validating Transactions within a Blockchain Block

A Merkle Tree, or hash tree, is a data structure used to efficiently summarize and verify all the transactions in a block. It is constructed by repeatedly hashing pairs of transaction hashes until a single root hash remains, known as the Merkle Root.

This root is included in the block header. Its primary role is to allow a light client to verify the inclusion and integrity of any specific transaction without downloading the entire block or chain.

This process ensures data integrity with minimal computational overhead.