MySQL 5.6 Reference Manual Including MySQL NDB Cluster 7.3-7.4 Reference Guide
MySQL manages contention for table contents using locking:
Internal locking is performed within the MySQL server itself to manage contention for table contents by multiple threads. This type of locking is internal because it is performed entirely by the server and involves no other programs. See Section 8.11.1, “Internal Locking Methods”.
External locking occurs when the server and other programs
lock MyISAM
table files to
coordinate among themselves which program can access the
tables at which time. See Section 8.11.5, “External Locking”.