Computers exist as a collection of interrelated components functioning together under the control of a central processor known as the central processing unit (CPU). The CPU is responsible for manipulating data and coordinating the activities of the computer's other physical components, including memory and peripherals. Instructions gathered from input interfaces are executed at the CPU, and the results delivered to output interfaces. The CPU, therefore, functions as the heart of the computer, facilitating all data processing activity.

The central processing unit is composed of several internal components needed to retrieve, store, and calculate data in a controlled fashion. Instructions enter the CPU from a computer's random access memory (RAM) through the bus. The bus is a grouping of wires that provide a physical medium for data transport between components. The instructions are decoded by the CPU's control unit, which interprets the data and sends...