Explanation:
DNA is the physical molecule that makes up both chromosomes and genes. DNA is typically found as one of the major parts of chromosomes. Chromosomes are larger, sometimes microscopically visible, structures in cells made of DNA and a few proteins. Genes are much smaller sections of the chromosomes, made of DNA, that specifically code for how to make proteins or RNA needed by the cell.
Physically it’s sort of like, DNA is the cloth, a chromosome is the shirt, genes are the collar, the pockets, the sleeve cuffs, the tail, etc.
A better functional analogy is a culinary travelogue. (travel book with recipes)
The dishes produced by the recipes in the book would represent the proteins made by the DNA/chromosomes/genes, like brown hair or eyes, or five fingers, or feathers, or melanin, or digestive enzymes, or muscles, etc.
The genes would be represented by the recipes in the book. Each contains the information to make some dish. Some recipes might even allow a chef to be able to make different variations of that dish as it appears some genes can do.
A chromosome is well represented by the whole book. Like the chromosome, the book contains all the physical material to allow the book to function, ink and paper, cover, binding, glue, stitching, etc. The chromosome, and actual cookbook, are where everything is put together and organized in some pattern so the cell - in the case of a chromosome - or a chef - in the case of a cookbook - can actually use it. Both can be “opened” and used or put away and unused, or even moved around from one place to another.
The best match for the DNA would be the ink actually organized into the images on the pages of the book. Some of it would form an actual recipe. Just like some DNA makes up genes. However, much of the ink might have nothing to do with the recipe. It might just be stories from the author’s past or interesting sidebars, just as much of the DNA in many chromosomes has nothing to do with making the protein product but may be interesting and have information from the past or other ancillary trivia. In fact a travel book with recipes may have a 1,000 pages but only 30 - 50 of the pages actually contain recipes, very much like some DNA/chromosomes/genes.
