enantiomersthus

Enantiomers are pairs of molecules that are mirror images of each other, but are not superimposable. This property is known as chirality. Enantiomers have identical physical and chemical properties, except when interacting with other chiral substances. This is because they interact differently with polarized light, a phenomenon known as optical activity. Enantiomers are often denoted as "D" and "L" forms, which refer to their ability to rotate plane-polarized light to the right or left, respectively. In biological systems, only one enantiomer of a chiral compound is typically active, a phenomenon known as enantioselectivity. This is crucial in pharmacology, as only the active enantiomer will produce a desired effect, while the inactive one may have no effect or even cause adverse reactions. The study of enantiomers is a significant area of research in chemistry, biology, and pharmacology.