Here's a simple explanation:

* Genes are the basic units of heredity, like instructions for building and maintaining an organism. They are made of DNA.

* Chromosomes are long, thread-like structures made of DNA and protein. They are found in the nucleus of every cell.

* Genes are carried on chromosomes. Think of chromosomes as the books in a library, and genes as the chapters within those books.

So, each chromosome carries a specific set of genes. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, meaning they have two copies of each gene (except for the X and Y chromosomes in males). These pairs of chromosomes are passed down from each parent, which is why we inherit traits from both our mom and dad.