Random access memory
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Random access memory (or simply RAM) is the memory or information storage in a computer that is used to store programs while they are running any information the programs need to do their job. Information in the RAM can be read and written quickly in any order. Normally, the random access memory is in the form of computer chips. Usually, the contents of the RAM are lost every time the computer is turned off.
[edit] Other kinds of memory
Information that the computer always needs, that does not often change, is normally kept in read-only memory (ROM), which does not lose its contents when the computer is turned off. Such items include the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System), which stores the most basic commands for the computer, telling it how it should start up. The BIOS can be compared to the part of your brain that tells your heart how to beat.