Often abbreviated "CPU", this is the part of a
computer that interprets and performs the instructions given to it by
software. In many computers, this is further divided into a
control unit that handles program flow and an
arithmetic and logical unit that performs operations on data. The term is often used vaguely to include other centrally important parts of a computer such as
storage and
input/output control, especially in computers with modern
microprocessor chips that include several of these functions in one physical
semiconductor chip.