What is the purpose of a BLOB field type in a database?

A BLOB (Binary Large Object) field type in a database is specifically designed to hold large amounts of binary data, which can include multimedia files like images, audio, video, or even complex document formats. This makes it particularly suitable for applications where the storage of such large objects is necessary, as standard data types (like strings or numbers) may not accommodate their size or complexity.

BLOBs allow databases to efficiently manage and store binary files by treating them as a single entity rather than as a collection of individual bytes or characters. This feature enables seamless handling of data that doesn't conform to traditional text or numeric formats, making it easier to work with various data types in an application.

The other options refer to different types of data storage: character strings are typically stored in character field types, numeric values use numeric field types, and relational data management does not pertain to a specific data storage type but rather to how different data entities are organized and related within the database. Thus, the BLOB field type stands out as the correct answer since it uniquely supports the storage of large binary objects efficiently.