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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of biochemical

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

---

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

To see how the enzyme handles synthetic genetic information, the team combined biochemical experiments with high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy capable of revealing structures at scales smaller than the width of a single atom.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026

The images showed that RNA polymerase identifies the synthetic DNA letters using many of the same biochemical and structural signals it relies on to recognize natural base pairs.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026

By identifying the first biochemical steps required to make atisinium, the team has gained an important starting point for studying the broader diterpenoid alkaloid family and its potentially useful medicinal properties.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 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

Repetitive, rhythmic, regular, austere, this was a conveyer belt of a chemical, the nylon of the biochemical world.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---