'biochemical' originates from the combination of 'bio-' from Greek 'bios' meaning 'life' and 'chemical' from 'chemistry', which is derived from 'alchemy'.

'biochemical' evolved from the term 'biochemistry', which was first used in the early 20th century to describe the study of chemical processes in living organisms.

Initially, it referred to the study of chemical processes in living organisms, but now it also describes anything related to these processes.