How do threads differ from processes in an operating system?

Threads differ from processes primarily in how they utilize memory and system resources. Threads are known as lightweight processes; they share the same memory space and resources of their parent process. This sharing allows threads to communicate efficiently and minimize overhead since they can access the same data without needing additional inter-process communication mechanisms.

In contrast, processes operate in separate memory spaces and do not share the same resources as their parent processes, which is what makes them inherently heavier in terms of resource usage compared to threads. This distinction in memory sharing is crucial for understanding the efficiency of multithreading in applications where tasks need to run concurrently without the overhead of process context switching.

Additionally, threads generally belong to the same process and are often used to perform different tasks that can execute simultaneously while leveraging the resources of their parent process.