Which one of the following digital circuits is used as the basic component for storing data?

A flip-flop is the fundamental building block of digital electronics used for data storage. It is a bistable multivibrator, meaning it has two stable states that can represent a single binary bit (0 or 1). It maintains its state until an external trigger (like a clock signal) causes it to change, making it the basic element of sequential logic.

• Registers are groups of flip-flops used to store multiple bits of data (e.g., 8-bit or 64-bit words) simultaneously.
• Counters are sequential circuits, also built from flip-flops, designed to count the number of occurrences of an input pulse.
• Derived logic gates (such as NAND, NOR, XOR) are combinational circuits used to perform logical operations; they do not possess inherent memory capabilities unless configured into a feedback loop to form a flip-flop.

Since the question asks for the basic component of storage, the flip-flop is the correct answer.