The purpose of the air intake is to let air travel into the car for other purposes like engine cooling and AC etc. it consists of three parts Throttle body, an Air filter, and a mass flow sensor.
Throttle body: It is the part that controls how much air enters the engine, it opens according to the throttle (accelerating, when you push the peddle.) It uses a flat valve, called a butterfly, that rotates inside a tube-shaped housing. When the driver presses the gas pedal, the butterfly pivots to let more airflow into the manifold. This also draws more fuel into the engine and causes the car to accelerate.
Air filter: prevents any insects, dust, particles, sand, or debris from reaching the engine and ensures a good mixture of air and fuel to support performance. The motor and the fan operate to circulate the air, while the filter works to remove pollutants from the air as the air passes through the machine. In addition, some air filters use negative ion generators to attract airborne particles and successfully remove them from the atmosphere.
Mass flow sensor: A mass airflow (MAF) sensor measures the amount of air entering a car's engine and sends this information to the engine control unit (ECU). The ECU then uses this information to balance the air-fuel ratio and deliver the correct amount of fuel to the engine. The air-fuel ratio needs to be optimal for the engine to perform well and for uninterrupted combustion.