The anatomy of a computer explains how a computer is built and how its main parts work together to perform tasks. Just like the human body has organs with specific roles, a computer has components such as the processor, memory, storage devices, and input/output units, each with a unique function. Understanding these parts helps users know how computers process data, store information, and produce results efficiently.


Input Devices:

Input devices include: -


  1. Keyboard
  2. Mouse – mouse can be wired (trackball), wireless (touchpad), optical (stylus) etc.
  3. Trackpad or trackball (pointing device).
  4. Joystick
  5. Scanner
  6. Microphone
  7. Digital camera
  8. Web camera
  9. Optical Character Reader (OCR)
  10. Magnetic Ink Character Reader (MICR)
  11. Optical Mark Reader
  12. Light pen
  13. Touch screen
  14. Voice Recognition Device (VRD)
  15. Bar code Reader


Output Devices:

Output devices include: -


  1. Monitor – it is also known as ‘Virtual Display Unit’. A monitor can be classified as: Catholic Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED), and Plasma.
  2. Printer – printers can be classified as:

a. Impact Printer –

  1. Low quality
  2. Hammer technique
  3. Cost is high
  4. Slow speed
  5. Eg.: line printer (drum printer, chain printer), serial printer (dot-matrix printer)


b. Non-Impact Printer –

  1. High quality
  2. High cost
  3. No noise
  4. Laser beam charges paper
  5. High speed
  6. Eg.: inkjet printer, laser jet printer
  7. Speaker
  8. Plotter
  9. Microfilm


Central Processing Unit (CPU):

After receiving data and commands from users, a computer system now has to process it according to the instructions provided, which is done by the CPU.


CPU consists of: -


1. Arithmetic and Logic nit (ALU) –

  1. This part performs arithmetic operations.
  2. It performs basic mathematical calculations like addition, subtraction, division, multiplication etc.
  3. It can also perform logical calculations like comparison.
  4. Actual computation take place through ALU.


2. Control Unit (CU) –

  1. This unit is the backbone of a computer.
  2. It is responsible for coordinating tasks between all components of a computer system.
  3. It collects data from input units and sends it to processing units, depending on its nature.
  4. Finally, it transmits processed data to output units for users.


3. Memory Unit –

  1. Once a user enters data using input devices, the computer system stores this data in its memory unit. It uses a set of pre-programmed instructions to transmit this data to other parts of the CPU.


Storage Devices:

Various storage devices are as follows: -


1. Hard Disc Drive (HDD) – these are traditional, mechanical storage devices that use spinning discs to read and write data.


2. Solid State Drive (SDD) – SSDs are faster and more durable than HDDs. They use flash memory to store data.


3. USB Flash Drive – these are small, portable devices and connect to a computer via USB port. It uses flash memory.


4. CD/DVD/Blu-Ray Disc – these optical drives use discs to read and write data. Blu-Ray discs have higher capacity than CDs/DVDs.


Each of these storage devices have its own advantages and use cases, depending on factors like speed, capacity, portability and cost.