biochemistry

noun

bio·​chem·​is·​try ˌbī-ō-ˈke-mə-strē 

1

: chemistry that deals with the chemical compounds and processes occurring in organisms

2

: the chemical characteristics and reactions of a particular living organism or biological substance

biochemist

ˌbī-ō-ˈke-mist 

noun

Examples of biochemistry in a Sentence

advances in the field of biochemistry

Recent Examples on the Web

Why laughter is good for your health Norman Cousins was an accomplished man, a journalist and bestselling author, and also a scientist who studied the biochemistry of human emotions. —Bryant Stamford, The Courier-Journal, 26 Dec. 2024

Or something in the middle: human beings in a certain stage of a journey that began a few million years ago, shaped by some combination of physics, biochemistry, neurobiology, and history. —Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024

The scientist obsessed with genetics and biochemistry has a long history in the comics as Spider-Man villain Jackal after his first introduction in 1974, but has only been shown on screen in animation so far. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2024

Ashley plans on majoring in biochemistry and eventually wants to work for the FBI as a lab technician. —Gege Reed, The Courier-Journal, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

biochemistry

noun

bio·​chem·​is·​try ˌbī-ō-ˈkem-ə-strē 

: chemistry that deals with the chemical compounds and processes occurring in living things

biochemical

-ˈkem-i-kəl

adjective

biochemically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb

biochemist

-ˈkem-əst 

noun

Medical Definition

biochemistry

noun

bio·​chem·​is·​try -ˈkem-ə-strē 

plural biochemistries

1

: chemistry that deals with the chemical compounds and processes occurring in organisms

2

: the chemical characteristics and reactions of a particular living organism or biological substance

a change in the patient's biochemistry accompanied her psychological depression