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

Crispr-Cas9 gene editing rocked the scientific world when it was first introduced in 2012, earning Jennifer Doudna, professor of biochemistry at the University of California Berkeley, the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 June 2026

Jumper shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis for their work creating AlphaFold, the AI system that could predict the shape of proteins from their DNA sequences, solving a 50-year grand challenge in biochemistry. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Jennifer Doudna is a professor of biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology. — Quanta Magazine, 11 June 2026

Zahra was completing a master’s in biochemistry. — Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for biochemistry

• biogeochemistry
• chemistry
• cytochemistry
• geochemistry
• histochemistry
• neurochemistry
• photochemistry
• phytochemistry
• thermochemistry
• electrochemistry
• immunochemistry
• radiochemistry

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