An enzyme that breaks down DNA by cutting its chemical bonds.
From deoxy- (DNA contains deoxyribose sugar) + ribonuclease (an enzyme that cuts ribonucleic acid). The suffix -ase denotes an enzyme in biochemistry.
Deoxyribonuclease enzymes are incredibly important in forensic science and genetic research—they can completely destroy all traces of DNA evidence if they contaminate a sample, so scientists must work in sterile conditions!
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