What does BIOS stand for?

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It is a crucial piece of firmware that initializes hardware during the booting process before handing over control to an operating system. The BIOS is responsible for performing a power-on self-test (POST) to check that essential hardware components, such as the keyboard, display, and storage devices, are functioning correctly. Once the hardware checks are completed, the BIOS locates the operating system on the storage drive, typically a hard drive or SSD, and loads it into memory for execution.

Understanding the role of BIOS is vital in comprehending how computers start and how they interact with their hardware components at a lower level before any other software, such as an operating system, takes over. This foundational knowledge is important in various aspects of computer science, especially for those studying computer fundamentals in a business context. Unlike the other options, which do not accurately represent the function or the acronym of BIOS, the correct answer reflects its true purpose in computer systems.