Final answer:
The 5'-3' exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase I is involved in primer removal, while the 3'-5' exonuclease activity is responsible for proofreading and is inhibited by both deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates and pyrophosphate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The exonucleases of DNA polymerase are responsible for removing incorrect nucleotides. The 5'-3' exonuclease activity, which is associated with DNA polymerase I in prokaryotes, is known for removing RNA primer at the terminal end of the DNA strand. On the other hand, the 3'-5' exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase plays a crucial role in the proofreading function during DNA replication. The latter's exonuclease activity is inhibited by the presence of deoxyribonucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs), which are the building blocks of DNA synthesis.
When the 3'-5' exonuclease activity is functioning, incorrect nucleotides may be removed. However, the presence of pyrophosphate, the byproduct of the polymerization reaction where dNTPs are joined to form the growing DNA strand, can inhibit this proofreading function.