The heart or essential component of any operating system. When computer users say something like, “Oh
no, my computer crashed!” what they are really saying is, “Oh, no, my kernel
has crashed!” The primary function of the kernel is to coordinate different
parts of the operating system—the disk drive, access to memory, the programs
and processes, input/output devices such as the mouse and the keyboard, as well
as networking.
See Also:
Computer.