biochemicaladj.n.
/ˌbʌɪə(ʊ)ˈkɛmᵻkl/, U.S. /ˌbaɪoʊˈkɛmək(ə)l/ A. adj.
1. Of or relating to biochemistry; of or relating to the chemical substances, reactions, and physico-chemical processes which occur within living organisms.
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the world > life > biology > study > [adjective] > biochemistry
biochemic1855
biochemical1867
physiochemical1887
chemico-biologic1898
1836 Brit. & Foreign Med. Rev. 1 583 The general affection..and the local intumescence, together with the bloody extravasation and excoriations around it, are to be ascribed to the bio-chemical agency of the energetic septic animal poison on the circulating mass.
1867 R. E. Wallis tr. F. J. Delitzsch Syst. Biblical Psychol. 273 Without wishing to substitute for Scripture a knowledge of that bio-chemical process.
1904 R. Meldola Vital Products I. 5 It is doubtful whether this compound [sc. furfural] is really a biochemical product.
1979 Jrnl. Amer. Med. Assoc. 23 Mar. 1287/1 The liver pathology bore no relation to clinical history or to biochemical findings.
2005 M. O'Shea Brain: Very Short Introd. iii. 39 There is another important category of ‘indirect’ neurotransmitter receptor:..the signal they generate is biochemical rather than electrical.
2. Alternative Medicine. = biochemic adj. 2.
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the world > health and disease > healing > art or science of medicine > medical theories or doctrines > [adjective] > other theories or doctrines
empiric?a1425
empirical1569
dogmatical1596
dogmatic1615
Brunonian1781
Thomsonian1833
pneumatic1842
stœchiological1875
solidistic1876
biochemical1885
orificial1887
physiatric1897
naturopathic1901
orgonomic1949
bioethical1971
1885 W. H. Schüssler Biochem. Treatm. Dis. 18 The question whether this or that disease is dependent or not upon the presence of germs (micrococci, bacilli, etc.) is no consequence in Biochemical Therapeutics.
1920 N. Amer. Jrnl. Homeopathy 35 Its principal functions as a biochemical salt seems to lie in its power—in combination with serum as a salt solution—to convey the other salts and the other nutritive elements to their proper place.
1978 H. L. Weaver Divining Primary Sense i. 7 Veale made his original discovery that a person's saliva..could be individually checked for biochemical tissue-salts with the Revealer.
2003 M. H. Bonham & J. M. Winger Compl. Idiot's Guide Dog Health & Nutrition v. 82 Biochemical salts, or electrolytes, are salts that exist in living things.
3. Of warfare, weapons, etc.: utilizing toxins or other harmful compounds of biological origin.
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1931 V. Lefebure Sci. Disarmament ix. 214 This is a very difficult matter in the present state of the art of biochemical warfare.
1967 Science 10 Nov. 750/3 The research might aid development of biochemical weapons.
1998 W. Becker Link (2000) 155 The resulting underground building projects..could house the top layers of government in case of a natural catastrophe, nuclear war, or biochemical attack.
B. n.† 1. Alternative Medicine. A chemical used for homeopathic purposes (see sense A. 2). Obsolete.
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1886 E. B. Rankin in Homœopathic World Aug. 356 (heading) Experiences with bio-chemicals.
2. A chemical of biological origin; a substance involved in biochemical processes.
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?1919 Trans. 6th Internat. Dental Congr vii. 493/2 The changes which end in cancer-formation may be initiated by the bio-chemicals known as toxins, the bacteria themselves existing in some remote tissues.
1932 Lancet 9 Apr. 795/1 The provincial laboratories should test and report on drugs, other than biochemicals and organo-metallic compounds, submitted to them by the customs.
1980 Science 8 Feb. 684/2 The position involves isolating, purifying, and characterizing a biochemical which inhibits tumor neovascularization and growth.
2004 P. F. Hamilton Pandora's Star xx. 639 Once a week he visited the doctor for his organ functions to be monitored, resulting in an assortment of biochemicals being administered to counter their decay.
Compounds
biochemical engineering n. the branch of science concerned with the use of biochemical processes and techniques for industrial purposes.
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1947 Wisconsin State Jrnl. 14 Jan. 7/2 The faculty..approved a recommendation of the college of engineering providing for a study curriculum in biochemical engineering.
1969 N. W. Pirie Food Resources iv. 122 Processes of this type are sometimes referred to as ‘chemurgy’; ‘biochemical engineering’ seems a preferable term.
2004 Current Opinion in Biotechnol. 15 441/2 Biochemical engineering has been well recognized as an essential enabling discipline for many areas of biotechnology over the past decades.
biochemical oxygen demand n. a standard measure of the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms in a water sample as they decompose organic matter, used as a measure of organic pollutant levels; a test procedure in which this is determined, typically by measuring oxygen levels in a sample before and after a period of incubation in the dark; abbreviated BOD.
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1914 A. Lederer in Jrnl. Industr. & Engin. Chem. 6 883/1 In designating properly a test, which gives expression to the demand for oxygen such as is present in streams, one can hardly be criticized for using the expression ‘Biochemical Oxygen Demand’.
1933 Lancet 8 Apr. 758/2 The biochemical oxygen demand of sewage is dependent upon the presence of living agents to enable the ordinary chemical oxygen demand to be satisfied.
1984 K. V. Scott in C. A. Heaton Introd. Industr. Chem. vii. 252 The biochemical oxygen demand..should be reduced to 20 mg/l..before discharge to a body of water.
1996 J. Bartram & R. Ballance Water Quality Monitoring vii. 121 The biochemical oxygen demand..is an empirical test, in which standardised laboratory procedures are used to estimate the relative oxygen requirements of wastewaters, effluents and polluted waters.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.n.1836