Enantiomers are a pair of molecules that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed. They often have identical physical properties but can interact differently with biological systems and polarized light.
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Enantiomers differ in the spatial arrangement around an asymmetric carbon atom.
They exhibit optical activity, meaning they rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions.
Biological systems can distinguish between enantiomers, leading to different effects in biochemical reactions.
One enantiomer of a drug may be therapeutic while the other could be inactive or even harmful.
The presence of enantiomers is a key consideration in pharmaceutical drug design.
Chirality refers to the property of a molecule that makes it non-superimposable on its mirror image, often due to an asymmetric carbon atom.
Stereoisomerism: Stereoisomerism involves compounds with the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms but differing in three-dimensional orientations.
Optical Activity: Optical activity is the ability of chiral compounds to rotate plane-polarized light, a characteristic feature of enantiomers.