enancjomer

Enancjomer is a term used in chemistry to describe a specific type of stereoisomer. Stereoisomers are molecules that have the same molecular formula and the same connectivity of atoms but differ in their three-dimensional arrangement of atoms. Enancjomery are a pair of stereoisomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. This means that if you were to hold one enancjomer up to a mirror, the reflection would be the other enancjomer, and you would not be able to perfectly align them by rotating them in space.

The term "enancjomer" comes from the Greek words "enantio" meaning "opposite" and "meros" meaning "part." This reflects the fact that they are opposite in their spatial orientation. Enancjomery have identical physical properties such as melting point, boiling point, and solubility in achiral solvents. However, they can differ significantly in their interactions with other chiral molecules, which is particularly important in biological systems. For example, enzymes and receptors in living organisms are chiral, and they often interact differently with each enancjomer of a chiral drug or molecule. This can lead to one enancjomer having a desired therapeutic effect while the other may be inactive or even harmful. A common example of enancjomery can be found in amino acids, with the exception of glycine, where the alpha-carbon is chiral.