Biochemical

Biochemical is an adjective referring to the chemistry of living organisms. It describes chemical substances, reactions, and processes that occur within cells and organisms. The term is often used to distinguish biological chemistry aspects from general chemistry. Biochemical studies focus on biomolecules—proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, lipids—and the small molecules and ions that participate in cellular activities. Biochemical processes include metabolism, enzyme catalysis, signal transduction, energy production, and gene expression.

Biochemical research uses a range of methods such as enzyme assays, chromatography, electrophoresis, spectrometry, molecular cloning, and imaging techniques to analyze structure, function, and interactions of biomolecules. Common topics include metabolic pathways like glycolysis and the citric acid cycle, DNA replication and transcription, protein folding, and membrane transport. Biochemical knowledge underpins many applied fields, including medicine, pharmacology, biotechnology, and agriculture.

In everyday language, "biochemical" may describe reagents, tests, or products used to study or manipulate living systems, such as biochemical assays that measure concentrations of substrates or enzymes. The term is closely related to biochemistry, the broader scientific discipline that investigates the chemical principles of life.