Kubernetes introduces a layered abstraction model that starts with containers, which bundle code and dependencies into one unit of software. Containers are isolated from the environment, allowing applications to run consistently across different infrastructure. Pods represent a logical grouping of containers that share the same environment, simplifying resource sharing and communication. Nodes provide the runtime environments where pods deploy, while clusters group nodes together for management and orchestration purposes. Understanding these components is crucial for managing containerized applications at scale with Kubernetes.