Monovalentne

Monovalentne is a term used to describe entities that have valence one, most commonly appearing in chemistry and biology. In chemistry, valence is the number of chemical bonds an atom or ion tends to form. A monovalent atom or ion carries a charge of one, meaning it forms one bond or has a net charge of +1 or −1 in compounds.

Typical examples of monovalent cations include H+, Li+, Na+, K+, and NH4+. Typical examples of monovalent anions include Cl−, Br−, NO3−, and OH−, though the precise identity depends on the chemical context and oxidation state.

In covalent chemistry, the concept of monovalence is often discussed alongside other notions of bonding and denticity, though monovalent generally refers to the number of bonds rather than spatial arrangement. The term is also used in biology and medicine to describe antibodies and vaccines. A monovalent antibody has a single antigen-binding site, in contrast to a bivalent antibody such as IgG. Fragments like Fab or single-chain variable fragments are examples of monovalent antibodies. Monovalent vaccines are designed to target a single antigen or pathogen strain, unlike polyvalent vaccines that cover multiple antigens.

Monovalent is commonly contrasted with polyvalent (many-valued) or multivalent, which describe entities capable of multiple bonds, charges, or specific interactions. The term’s exact usage can vary by discipline, but its core meaning remains the same: a valence of one.