Abstract: The extensive application of rare earth elements in agricultural practices in China has brought remarkable economic benefits. However, environmental safety concerns from rare earth element use in agriculture are growing in the Chinese and foreign scientific community. Nucleic acid is a polymer that stores and transfers genetic information. This paper reviews the effect of rare earth on nucleic acid and its mechanisms from the point of view of genetics. It is indicated that rare earth binds with nucleic acid or hydrolyzes nucleic acid. Binding sites of Ln3+ with nucleic acid, mode of action and hydrolytic mechanisms are elucidated. Finally, the future direction of research in this field is proposed.