biochemical

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   relating to biochemistry or to the chemical substances and processes that occur in living organisms

   Researchers measured the biochemical changes that occur when muscle cells are deprived of oxygen.

2. 2
   noun

   a chemical substance produced by, obtained from, or acting within a living organism

   The company extracts a useful biochemical from algae for use in medicines.

Formed in the nineteenth century, after German biochemisch, from bio- ("life; biology") + chemical. Bio- comes from Greek bios ("life"). Attested in English from 1840, the adjective originally meant "of or pertaining to the chemistry of life"; the noun denotes a chemical produced by or obtained from a living source.

Topics