Final answer:
Upon booting a system, the kernel is the first main component to be loaded into memory. It is the crucial part of the operating system responsible for resource management and operations facilitation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a system is booted, the first main piece of software that is loaded into memory is the kernel. The kernel is the core component of the operating system, managing system resources and facilitating basic operations. Post the initialization of the kernel, other system software and processes, including the shell and commands, are subsequently loaded and executed.