Glossary Term

Exonuclease

PCR TermsEN

Definition

An Exonuclease is a hydrolase (nuclease) that specifically catalyzes the hydrolysis of terminal phosphodiester bonds of deoxyribonucleotide or ribonucleotide chains, releasing mononucleotides.

Extended Notes

Source: National Cancer Institute, NCI Thesaurus 26.09d, C16242. NCI definition, reproduced without modification under CC BY 4.0. Source identity and definition checked automatically on 2026-10-20. No individual clinical interpretation or human reviewer is asserted.

Also Known As

Exonuclease