Agreed... phpMyAdmin is a feature (service) that is commonly "bolted" onto C-Panel - under the MySQL service.

Wherever the link is (to phpMyAdmin), it is a facility that allows you to manage and administer your database.

For the most part, you won't need to know the really "technical" aspects of MySQL, but it's useful to know some of the important ones - such as EXPORTING your database, and/or making copies and backups of it.

One of the best ways of learning MySQL is to install a copy of zencart on your server, in a SUB-directory (or on your own computer that's been configured properly as a server - see XAMPP).

Then, you can create a database and fool about with it at your heart's content. There are lots of TUTORIALS on MySQL, and in a few days you will be tinkering with the functions.

Anyway, in phpMyAdmin, there is a relatively easy EXPORT function that allows you to DUMP your database, and save it to your hard drive, in what is essentially a TXT file. (Though you instruct the program to export as SQL, it still renders as a TXT file).

Interestingly, this simple TXT file (called "abcde.sql) IS your database!

And you can use this file to re-instate* your database if the original collapses.

The key to database management is dilligence - make sure you back it up regularly. Our webshosts do this daily for us - automatically - for a nominal $2 a month (absolute bargain), but I also do the export every 2 or 3 days.

*There are a few sql commands that you need to understand, such as "DROP TABLE IF EXISTS" and a few others - but this can be learned in a few hours on a good SQL tutorial website.