What does cv::normalize(_src, dst, 0, 255, NORM_MINMAX, CV_8UC1);

What does the cv::normalize(_src, dst, 0, 255, NORM_MINMAX, CV_8UC1); do in OpenCV?

I went through the documentation and was unable to understand what alpha, beta, NORM_MINMAX and CV_8UC1 actually do. I am aware alpha sets the lower and beta the higher bound. CV_8UC1 stands for an 8-bit unsigned single channel. But what exactly these arguments do to the picture is what I am unable to comprehend.