How do binary digits represent instructions in machine language?

In machine language, instructions are represented as strings of binary digits (bits), which are sequences of 0s and 1s. These patterns serve as the fundamental numeric codes that a computer can execute directly.1

Within these binary strings, specific bits are designated to perform different functions:
* Operations: Certain bits represent the specific action to be performed, such as addition or other arithmetic and logic operations.12
* Operands: Other bits specify the data upon which the operation should act, which may be located in CPU registers or specific memory addresses.2
* Control Flow: In the case of branch instructions, parts of the binary string contain the memory address for the next instruction to be executed, allowing the computer to make decisions or transfer control to different parts of a program.2

Because programs and data are both stored as bit patterns in memory, the central processing unit interprets these sequences during the "fetch-decode-execute" cycle to carry out the intended operations.2