Human Biochemistry Volume 1 - Murray R. 1993

Biochemistry and Medicine
Formal Definition of Biochemistry

Biochemistry, as the name implies (from the Greek bios meaning life), is the chemistry of life, or more rigorously, the science of the Chemical foundations of biological processes.

The structural unit of living systems is The Cell; therefore, another definition can be given: biochemistry as a science studies the Chemical Components of living Cells, as well as the reactions and processes in which they participate. According to this definition, biochemistry encompasses broad areas of cell biology and the entirety of molecular biology.



Last update: 06/08/2026

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