biochemistry

B3I1O1C3H4E1M3I1S1T1R1Y4
/ˌbaɪəʊˈkɛmɪstɹi/

noun

The chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism; the study of such chemistry.

“My aunt has a degree in biochemistry.”

OriginEnglish chemistry ← French chimiste ← Middle French chymie →
CommonScrabble 24
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Meanings

nounbiochemistry (countable and uncountable, plural biochemistries)

plural biochemistries

  1. uncountableThe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism; the study of such chemistry.

    My aunt has a degree in biochemistry.

  2. countableThe chemical characteristics of a particular living organism.

    The biochemistries of fungal and bacterial cells are quite distinct.

    1 more example

    They [viruses] use more varied biochemistry than cellular life, storing their genetic information as both single- and double-stranded DNA as well as RNA.

    2012, Caspar Henderson, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, page 146
  3. countableThe biochemical activity associated with a particular chemical or condition.

    The biochemistry of NO differs from that of NO₂.

    1 more example

    Our study compared the biochemistries of epilepsy and Parkinson's.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷeyh₃-
  2. Ancient Greekβῐ́ος (bĭ́os)
  3. Ancient Greekβῐο- (bĭo-)
  4. Englishbio-
  5. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰew-
  6. Ancient Greekχῠ́μᾰ (khŭ́mă)
  7. Ancient Greekχυμείᾱ (khumeíā)
  8. Arabicالْكِيمِيَاء (al-kīmiyāʔ)
  9. Medieval Latinalchēmia
  10. Ancient Greekχυμείᾱ (khumeíā)influ.
  11. New Latinchimia
  12. Middle Frenchchymie
  13. Frenchchimie
  14. Frenchchimiste
  15. Englishchemist
  16. Englishchemistry
  17. Englishbiochemistry

From bio- + chemistry.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans biochjemie
  • biochjemiethe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Arabic كِيمِيَاء حَيَوِيَّة
  • كِيمِيَاء حَيَوِيَّة (kīmiyāʔ ḥayawiyya)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Basque biokimika
  • biokimikathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Bengali প্রাণরসায়ন
  • প্রাণরসায়ন (pranorśaẏon)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Bulgarian биохи́мия, биохимия
  • биохи́мия (biohímija)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • биохимия (biohimija)the chemical characteristics of a particular living organism
Catalan bioquímica
  • bioquímicathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Chinese Cantonese 生物化學 /生物化学
  • 生物化學 /生物化学 (sang¹ mat⁶ faa³ hok⁶)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Chinese Mandarin 生物化學 /生物化学
  • 生物化學 /生物化学 (shēngwù huàxué)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Czech biochemie
  • biochemiethe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Danish biokemi
  • biokemithe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Dutch biochemie
  • biochemiethe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Esperanto biokemio, bioĥemio
  • biokemiothe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • bioĥemiothe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Estonian biokeemia
  • biokeemiathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Finnish biokemia, biokemia
  • biokemiathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • biokemiathe chemical characteristics of a particular living organism
French biochimie
  • biochimiethe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
German Biochemie, Biochemie
  • Biochemiethe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • Biochemiethe chemical characteristics of a particular living organism
Greek βιοχημεία
  • βιοχημεία (viochimeía)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Hebrew בִּיוֹכִימְיָה
  • בִּיוֹכִימְיָה (biokhymia)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Hindi जैवरासायनिकी, जीवरसायन
  • जैवरासायनिकी (jaivrāsāynikī)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • जीवरसायन (jīvarsāyan)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Hungarian biokémia, életvegytan
  • biokémiathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • életvegytanthe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Icelandic lífefnafræði
  • lífefnafræðithe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Indonesian biokimia, kimia hayati
  • biokimiathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • kimia hayatithe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Irish bithcheimic
  • bithcheimicthe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Italian biochimica
  • biochimicathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Japanese 生化学
  • 生化学 (seikagaku)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Korean 생화학
  • 생화학 (saenghwahak)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Latin biochemica
  • biochemicathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Latvian bioķīmija
  • bioķīmijathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Lithuanian biochemija
  • biochemijathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Malay biokimia
  • biokimiathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Norwegian Bokmål biokjemi
  • biokjemithe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Persian زیستشیمی, بیوشیمی
  • زیستشیمی (zist-šimi)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • بیوشیمی (biošimi)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Polish biochemia, biochemia
  • biochemiathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • biochemiathe chemical characteristics of a particular living organism
Portuguese bioquímica
  • bioquímicathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Romanian biochimie, biochimie
  • biochimiethe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • biochimiethe chemical characteristics of a particular living organism
  • biochimiithe chemical characteristics of a particular living organism
Russian биохи́мия
  • биохи́мия (bioxímija)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Scottish Gaelic bith-cheimigeachd
  • bith-cheimigeachdthe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Slovak biochémia
  • biochémiathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Spanish bioquímica
  • bioquímicathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Swahili biokemia
  • biokemiathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Swedish biokemi
  • biokemithe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Tagalog biyokimika
  • biyokimikathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Tamil உயிர்வேதியியல்
  • உயிர்வேதியியல் (uyirvētiyiyal)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Thai ชีวเคมี
  • ชีวเคมี (cheew-kây-mee)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Turkish biyokimya
  • biyokimyathe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Ukrainian біологі́чна хі́мія, біохі́мія
  • біологі́чна хі́мія (biolohíčna xímija)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • біохі́мія (bioxímija)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Urdu حیاتی کیمیاء
  • حیاتی کیمیاء (hyātī kemyā')the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Vietnamese hóa sinh, sinh hoá học
  • hóa sinhthe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • sinh hoá họcthe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
  • hoá sinh họcthe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Welsh biocemeg
  • biocemegthe chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Yiddish ביאָכעמיע
  • ביאָכעמיע (byokhemye)the chemistry of those compounds that occur in living organisms, and the processes that occur in their metabolism and catabolism
Cite this entry
APA

biochemistry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biochemistry

MLA

“biochemistry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biochemistry. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “biochemistry,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/biochemistry.

Source: biochemistry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.