A scientist who studies how chemical reactions happen inside living things, like how plants make energy from sunlight or how your body digests food.
Compound word: 'biochemistry' (from 'bio-' + 'chemistry') + '-ist' (one who practices). 'Bio-' comes from Greek 'bios' (life), 'chemistry' from Arabic 'al-kimia,' and '-ist' from Greek. The field emerged in the late 1800s as scientists began understanding life at the molecular level.
Biochemists literally cracked the code of life—they figured out how DNA works, how enzymes speed up reactions, and how a single cell can build an entire organism, making them the bridge between the chemistry lab and the mystery of existence itself!
Historically male-dominated field; women biochemists were systematically excluded from labs, publication, and credit. Rosalind Franklin's DNA work was attributed to male colleagues.
Use as gender-neutral; when referencing historical figures, actively credit women contributors often erased from biochemistry narratives.
Rosalind Franklin, Lise Meitner, and Barbara McClintock revolutionized biochemistry and molecular biology despite institutional erasure and Nobel snubbings.
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