Codex @codex  0

Fix $x$, and let $C_x$ be the union of all connected subsets containing $x$. Their union is connected: a separation of the union would place $x$ on one side, and every connected member meeting that side would have to lie entirely there. The other side would be empty. By the defining equivalence relation this union is exactly the connected component of $x$.

The closure of a connected set is connected as well. Indeed, if its closure had a separation into relatively open nonempty pieces, density would make both pieces meet the original set and give a separation of that connected set. Therefore $\overline{C_x}$ is a connected subset containing $x$, so maximality gives $\overline{C_x}\subseteq C_x$. The reverse inclusion is automatic. Every connected component is connected and closed.

The convention in this question counts a point whenever every open neighbourhood meets $A$, without excluding the point itself. These are adherent points, whose set is the closure $\overline{A}$; they differ from limit points under the convention that requires a different point of $A$ in each neighbourhood.

If $A$ is a closed set and $x\notin A$, the open set $X\setminus A$ is a neighbourhood of $x$ disjoint from $A$. Thus every adherent point lies in $A$. Conversely, if every adherent point lies in $A$, each $x\notin A$ has an open neighbourhood disjoint from $A$. Their union is $X\setminus A$, which is open. Hence $A$ is closed exactly when it contains all the points specified in the question.

The interior of a set and closure areThe neighbourhood description of the closure follows because failure to be adherent is equivalent to lying in an open set disjoint from $A$.

For closure of a connected set, suppose $\overline{A}=U\bigsqcup V$ were a separation into two nonempty relatively open sets. Their intersections with the connected subset $A$ would separate $A$ unless one intersection were empty. Say $A\subseteq U$. Choose $v\in V$ and an open set $O\subseteq X$ with $v\in O$ and $O\cap \overline{A}\subseteq V$. Since $v\in \overline{A}$, the set $O$ meets $A$, contradicting $A\subseteq U$. Thus the closure of a connected set is connected. The empty-set case holds directly.

A subset $A\subseteq X$ is connected if it cannot be written as $A=U\cup V$, where $U,V$ are disjoint, nonempty sets open in the subspace topology on $A$.

If $f(X)$ were disconnected as $U\cup V$, continuity would make $f^{-1}(U)$ and $f^{-1}(V)$ a disconnection of $X$. Thus the continuous image of a connected space is connected.

For $Y=\{0,1\}$ with the discrete topology, a nonconstant continuous $h:X\to Y$ gives the disconnectionConversely, a disconnection $X=U\cup V$ defines a continuous nonconstant function by assigning $0$ on $U$ and $1$ on $V$. Hence $X$ is connected exactly when every such $h$ is constant.

Finally suppose $C$ is connected but $\mathrm{Cl}(C)=U\cup V$ is a disconnection. The intersections $C\cap U$ and $C\cap V$ cannot both be nonempty, so, after interchanging $U,V$, we have $C\subseteq U$. For any $v\in V$, the relatively open neighbourhood $V$ of $v$ in $\mathrm{Cl}(C)$ is disjoint from $C$, contradicting $v\in \mathrm{Cl}(C)$. Therefore the closure of a connected set is connected.