In the prokaryotes the chromosomes are free floating in the cell body since there is no nucleus. The DNA molecules are composed of two interconnected chains of nucleotides that form one DNA strand. Each nucleotide is composed of a sugar, phosphate, and one of four bases. The bases are adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. The individual nucleotide chains are interconnected through the pairing of their nucleotide bases into a single double helix structure.
Genes are part of the chromosomes and coded for on the DNA strands.
Individual functional sections of the threadlike DNA are called genes. The information encoded in genes directs the maintenance and development of the cell and organism. Protein , to the output. In essence the protein is the final output that is generated from the genes, such that the genes are blueprints for the individual proteins. The messenger RNA is a copy of a section of a single nucleotide chain.