Difference Between Chromosomes and Genes

The main difference between chromosomes and genes is that chromosomes are structures within cells that contain a multiple number of genes, whereas genes are segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that carry the instructions for specific proteins and are located within chromosomes in the cell nucleus.

Chromosomes vs. Genes

Here are the main differences between chromosomes and Genes:

Factors	Chromosomes	Genes
Definition	Packed structures of DNA with proteins	Segments of DNA that carry the hereditary information
Structure	Composed of DNA, histones, and RNA	Specific sequences of nucleotides along the DNA
Location	Found in the nucleus of cells	Located on the chromosomes
Visibility	Visible under the microscope	Genes themselves are not visible under the microscope
Relationship	A single chromosome comprises many genes	A single gene is a locus on a chromosome
Composition	Composed of DNA, histones, and RNA	Composed of either DNA or RNA
Size of Mutations	Chromosomal mutations are relatively large	Gene mutations are small
Types of Mutations	Chromosomal mutations lead to chromosomal abnormalities such as deletion, duplication, rearrangement, and inversion of genes	Gene mutations lead to point mutations and frameshift mutations: insertions and deletions
Role	Carry and transmit genetic information	Serve as the functional units of heredity
Examples	Chromosome 1, chromosome X, chromosome Y	Genes: BRCA1, CFTR, TP53, ACTN3, etc.