A record is an individual entry within a module. A record in the Leads module is a potential client, while a record in the Accounts module could be a business you work with, a deal record is a…… you get the picture.
Also, if you first click into a record and the layout looks different from mine, look up at the top. Next to the green “Send Email” button is an inconspicuous little guy named “Switch to Old/New Version”.
This is simply to toggle between the old and new UI that Zoho has for CRM. They released a new one once or twice a year and you may use either one. I use the new one!