Chromatin- The readily stainable substance of a cell nucleus, consisting of DNA, RNA, and various proteins, that forms chromosomes during cell division.
Chromosome- a chromosome is a coiled thread-like structure that contains the genetic material of organisms. A chromosome is the condensed form of a chromatin, which in turn is made up of the DNA and proteins called Histones.
In the nucleus, the DNA double helix is packaged by special proteins (histones) to form a complex called chromatin. The chromatin undergoes further condensation to form the chromosome. So while the chromatin is a lower order of DNA organization, chromosomes are the higher order of DNA organization. An organism’s genetic content is counted in terms of the chromosome pairs present. e.g. humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes..