chirality

molecular structure

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July 23, 2026

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Chirality refers to a molecule's "handedness," meaning it exists in two forms that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed, much like a left and right hand. These mirror-image molecules are called enantiomers.12

This property is crucial in biology because molecules often need to fit together like a lock and key for biological processes to occur. For example, proteins are made of amino acids, and almost all amino acids in proteins have the same "left-handed" configuration (l-configuration). This specific handedness is essential for the precise way proteins function.34

A tragic example of chirality's importance is thalidomide, where one enantiomer acted as a sedative, but its mirror image caused severe birth defects. This highlights the need for enantiomerically pure drugs in medicine.3

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isomerism
Enantiomers
…phenomenon of handedness, or “chirality,” is perhaps the most important phenomenon related to isomerism. Many objects in the macroscopic world are chiral. A scissors and a screw are familiar chiral objects; they are not superimposable on their mirror images. But related objects, a simple knife or a nail, for…
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…phenomenon of handedness, or “chirality,” is perhaps the most important phenomenon related to isomerism. Many objects in the macroscopic world are chiral. A scissors and a screw are familiar chiral objects; they are not superimposable on their mirror images. But related objects, a simple knife or a nail, for…
Read More