Think of a probe in Kubernetes like a heart rate monitor attached to a patient in a hospital. Just as the heart rate monitor continuously checks the patient's heart rate to ensure they are alive and functioning correctly, Kubernetes probes continuously monitor the health of containers to ensure they are running and capable of serving traffic. If the heart rate monitor detects irregularities or a lack of heartbeat, medical staff take action to revive or stabilize the patient. Similarly, if Kubernetes probes detect issues with a container, Kubernetes takes action to restart or replace the container, ensuring the application remains available and responsive.