An antenna converts electric power into radio waves and vice versa. There are two main categories of antennas - omnidirectional antennas that radiate in all directions, and directional antennas that preferentially radiate in a particular direction. Key parameters that define antennas include frequency, directivity, efficiency, gain, wavelength, and polarization. Common types of antennas discussed are Yagi antennas, log-periodic antennas, horn antennas, loop antennas, and parabolic antennas.