2. A common misconception is that the visible bands on each chromosome
represent individual genes, but in reality, the bands can contain hundreds of
genes. Each gene is the directions to make one

Protein

Explanation:

Although in reality it is a little bit more complicated than this, generally, one gene can be considered to make one protein.

The DNA sequence determines the sequence of a polypeptide, which eventually becomes a protein.

Proteins carry out the vast majority of functions in the cell, and in this way the DNA controls all the activities of the cell, through determining the sequence, and therefore structure and function of, proteins.