kiralitás

Kiralitás is a property of a molecule or ion that makes it non-superimposable on its mirror image. This means that a chiral molecule and its mirror image are different, much like a left hand is different from a right hand. Chirality is a fundamental concept in chemistry and biology. Molecules that exhibit chirality are called chiral molecules, and their mirror images are known as enantiomers. Enantiomers have identical physical properties such as melting point and boiling point, but they can differ significantly in their chemical and biological behavior. This is particularly important in biological systems, where enzymes and receptors are often stereoselective, meaning they can interact differently with enantiomers. For example, one enantiomer of a drug might be therapeutic, while the other could be inactive or even toxic. The presence of a chiral center, typically a carbon atom bonded to four different groups, is a common cause of chirality. However, chirality can also arise from other structural features, such as restricted rotation or the arrangement of atoms in a molecule. The study of chiral molecules and their properties is known as stereochemistry.