Registers

A computer system uses registers to receive and hold information temporarily and pass it on as directed by the control unit. These are special memory units and are not considered as a part of the main memory. The purpose is to speed up the rate of information transfer. Each register performs a specific function. The type and number of registers may vary from computer to computer, but some registers are common to a computer system. The size of a register is determined by the number of bits that can be stored e.g. 16-bit register.