Introduction

The Anatomy of a Computer (CPU, Memory, and bus)

CPU (Central Processing Unit):
- Plastic, metal and mostly silicon.
- Composed of several million transistors.
- Enormously complicated wiring.
- Performs program control, arithmetic, and data movement.
- Locates and executes program instructions.
Memory:
- RAM (Random Access Memory): read-write memory.
- ROM (Read Only Memory): contains certain programs that must always be present.
- Secondary storage (e.g. a hard drive) provides persistent storage.
The bus is a set of electrical lines that connect the CPU, RAM, and other devices.