Definition
noun, plural: valences
(biology, immunology) The relative capability of a substance (e.g. antibody) to act upon, react, or bind with a biological substrate (e.g. antigen); the number of antigen binding sites that an antibody has, or the number of antigenic determinants an antigen has.
(biochemistry ) The number of binding sites on a molecule.
(chemistry) A property of atom or radical that indicates its combining power, especially in terms of the number of hydrogen atoms.
Supplement
Word origin: Latin valentia (strength)
Related forms: valent (noun or adjective)
Synonym: valency
Related terms:
- polyvalence
