Hill coefficient (Q6775846)

The Hill cooperativity coefficient is a dimensionless empirical parameter that quantifies the degree of cooperative behavior in a system modeled by a Hill-type equation. It determines how strongly the binding, adsorption, catalytic rate, or biological response departs from simple non-cooperative behavior. Values greater than one represent positive cooperativity, where one binding or adsorption event increases the likelihood of additional events, while values less than one indicate negative cooperativity. A value of exactly one corresponds to non-cooperative, hyperbolic behavior as seen in classical Langmuir, Michaelis–Menten, or Emax models. The Hill coefficient does not reflect a mechanistic number of sites but rather describes the steepness of the sigmoidal response curve.