DNA or Deoxyribonucleic acid is a biopolymer of a type of nucleic acid that consists of four bases i.e., adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. The arrangement of these four bases in a particular order leads to the creation of a segment. This is known as a gene. On the other hand, chromosomes are created when these segments get themselves attached to appropriate proteins.
In other words, a chromosome is a linear arrangement of condensed DNA and proteins which contains the genetic material of an organism. This means when proteins attach to each segment; chromosomes are created. Twenty-three pairs of chromosomes exist in every individual i.e., 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 chromosomes from the mother.
Invariably, the relationship between DNA and chromosomes, which also stands as their difference, is that when DNA molecules are tightly packed together with proteins, the resulting structures are known as chromosomes.