Final answer:
The assertion that telomerase is a reverse nuclease is false. Telomerase is an enzyme with a reverse transcriptase function that extends telomeres to protect chromosome integrity, especially in germ cells, stem cells, and cancer cells. Therefore given statement is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
Telomerase is not a reverse nuclease; the statement is false. Instead, telomerase is an enzyme that plays a critical role in DNA replication, specifically in the maintenance and lengthening of telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. It consists of a catalytic part and an RNA template, known as Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) and Telomerase RNA Component (TERC) respectively. The RNA component serves as a template for the 5' to 3' extension of the telomere DNA strand, thus helping to prevent the chromosome from degradation during cell division. Telomerase is particularly active in germ cells, adult stem cells, and cancer cells, while it is less active or inactive in fully differentiated somatic cells. Elizabeth Blackburn, along with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak, won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 2009 for their discovery of telomerase.