What does the Program Counter do in a CPU?

The Program Counter is a crucial component of the CPU that plays a key role in the instruction execution cycle. Its primary function is to hold the memory address of the next instruction that the processor needs to execute. As each instruction is processed, the Program Counter is incremented to point to the subsequent instruction in the sequence, ensuring that the CPU executes instructions in the correct order.

This continuous updating of the Program Counter enables smooth program execution and allows the CPU to fetch the next instruction efficiently. The accuracy of the Program Counter is vital for the overall functioning of a program, as any mistake in addressing could lead to incorrect instructions being executed or even system crashes.