Who Discovered the Chromosome?

Walther Flemming, a German biologist, is credited with the discovery of chromosomes in the late 19th century (around 1879). While studying cell division (mitosis) under a microscope, he observed thread-like structures in the nucleus, which he called "chromatin". These structures were later termed chromosomes.

Although Flemming discovered their structure and behavior during cell division, the term "chromosome" (meaning "colored body") was coined later by Heinrich Wilhelm Waldeyer in 1888.