biochemical

American  

[bahy-oh-kem-i-kuhl] / ˌbaɪ oʊˈkɛm ɪ kəl /

adjective

1. Rarely biochemic of or relating to the science dealing with the chemistry of living matter.

   Accurate biochemical results depend on maintaining the integrity of blood samples until analyses can be completed.

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noun

1. a chemical existing in or obtained from living matter, or used in processes dealing with living matter.

   All the substances mentioned are biochemicals present in the human body.

Other Word Forms

• biochemically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of biochemical

bio- ( def. ) + chemical ( def. )

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Explanation

Something that's biochemical relates to chemical processes that occur in living beings, like the chemical reactions in your body. You're most likely to come across the word biochemical in a science class. Biochemical processes occur in living organisms. For example, the way your body converts food into energy is biochemical, as is the way your body fights disease and responds to drugs. The word biochemistry comes from the German biochemisch, and both words combine the Greek bio, "one's life," and chemical, "relating to chemistry."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

biochemical

The SIU Carbondale team instead turned to microbes, which can carry out complex biochemical processes naturally.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

Further evidence came from biochemical tests led by Associate Professor Carney Matheson.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 10, 2026

Researchers in the Food Microbial Sciences Unit at the University of Reading tracked the microbial and biochemical changes that occurred as three locally made Oxfordshire cheeses matured.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

After joining forces, the international team set out to identify the precise sequence of biochemical steps used by wolfsbane and larkspur to make diterpenoid alkaloids.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

The surest means to purify the messenger intermediate was to halt protein synthesis abruptly—using a biochemical equivalent of a cold shower—and purify the shivering molecules associated with the ribosomes, thereby trapping the elusive Pimpernel.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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