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

Lavallo is referring to Ronald Breslow, a Columbia University chemist who proposed in 1958 that vitamin B1 could transform into a carbene to enable key biochemical reactions.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

Valor is building its first processing facility in Houston, on the property of biochemical producer Solugen, whose founders are also investors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

That extra building block can expand their biochemical capabilities.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

While both drugs target the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase enzyme to prevent viral replication, they do so through entirely different biochemical pathways.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Soon, however, I abandoned thinking at the molecular level and turned to the much easier job of reading biochemical papers on the interrelations of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson