The Internet Protocol (IP) is the principal communications protocol in the Internet protocol

suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables
internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet.
IP, as the primary protocol in the Internet layer of the Internet protocol suite, has the task of
delivering packets from the source host to the destination host solely based on the IP addresses in
the packet headers. For this purpose, IP defines packet structures that encapsulate the data to be
delivered. It also defines addressing methods that are used to label the datagram with source and
destination information.
Historically, IP was the connectionless datagram service in the original Transmission Control
Program introduced by Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn in 1974; the other being the connection-oriented
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). The Internet protocol suite is therefore often referred to as
TCP/IP.
The first major version of IP, Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4), is the dominant protocol of the
Internet. Its successor is Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol#Datagram_construction

Techopedia explains Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4)

IPv4 is defined and specified in IETF publication RCF 791. It is used in the packet-switched link
layer in the OSI model.
IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses for Ethernet communication in five classes, named A, B, C, D and E.
Classes A, B and C have a different bit length for addressing the network host. Class D addresses
are reserved for multicasting, while class E addresses are reserved for future use.
Class A has subnet mask 255.0.0.0 or /8, B has subnet mask 255.255.0.0 or /16 and class C has
subnet mask 255.255.255.0 or /24. For example, with a /16 subnet mask, the network
192.168.0.0 may use the address range of 192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255. Network hosts can
take any address from this range; however, address 192.168.255.255 is reserved for broadcast
within the network.
The maximum number of host addresses IPv4 can assign to end users is 232. IPv6 presents a
standardized solution to overcome IPv4's limiations. Because of its 128-bit address length, it can
define up to 2,128 addresses.
http://www.techopedia.com/definition/5367/internet-protocol-version-4-ipv4