What makes a straight in poker and how does it rank in terms of hand strength compared to other poker hands?

In Poker, a straight is a hand that consists of five consecutive cards of any suit. For example, 2-3-4-5-6 or 10-J-Q-K-A. A straight ranks higher in terms of hand strength compared to three of a kind and a pair, but lower than a flush, a full house, four of a kind, and a straight flush.