Medium access control (MAC) is the sublayer of the data link layer that coordinates use of a shared medium in wireless networks. It addresses problems like hidden and exposed terminals through techniques like carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) and time division multiple access (TDMA). TDMA divides time into slots and assigns slots to different users to avoid collisions. Early random access protocols like Aloha and slotted Aloha had low throughput due to many collisions, while later protocols use RTS/CTS handshaking and carrier sensing to reduce collisions and improve throughput.