Deoxyribonuclease
Deoxyribonuclease, often abbreviated as DNase, is an enzyme that breaks down deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into smaller components. It plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including DNA repair, replication, and degradation. DNase is found in many organisms, including humans, where it helps maintain cellular health by removing damaged or unnecessary DNA.
In laboratory settings, DNase is commonly used in molecular biology techniques to eliminate DNA contamination from samples. This is particularly important in experiments involving polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloning, where the presence of unwanted DNA can interfere with results.