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

Additional biochemical testing showed that visceral white adipose tissue was a major source of the age-related increase in C3.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 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

Shapses said she wants to better understand issues such as circadian rhythm, inflammation, metabolic health, and the biochemical issues that help the body sense and respond to food.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

Cells of all sorts are commonly likened to biochemical factories, busy ferments in which dozens of mechanisms are working away in complex sequences that are half Rube Goldberg, half ballet.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann