The chromosomes in a cell are located in the nucleus. The nucleus is the control center of the cell and contains most of the cell's genetic material in the form of DNA. Chromosomes are long, coiled-up strands of DNA that contain genes, which are the units of heredity that determine an organism's characteristics. The nucleus is surrounded by a nuclear membrane that separates it from the rest of the cell. The other organelles mentioned - cell wall, golgi body, vacuole, and mitochondrion - do not contain the chromosomes.