What are the differences between the parent() and parents() methods in jQuery, and how can they affect the selection of elements within the DOM structure?

The parent() method selects the immediate parent element of the selected element, while the parents() method selects all ancestor elements of the selected element. This can affect the selection of elements within the DOM structure as parent() will only target the immediate parent, whereas parents() will target all ancestors. It is important to choose the appropriate method based on the specific element you want to target within the DOM hierarchy. ```javascript // Using parent() method to select the immediate parent element $('#childElement').parent().addClass('highlight'); // Using parents() method to select all ancestor elements $('#childElement').parents().addClass('highlight'); ```