Chiral center
Chiral Center
A Chiral Center (pronounced: /kaɪrəl/), also known as a Stereo Center or Asymmetric Carbon, is a concept in Stereochemistry, a sub-discipline of Chemistry. The term originates from the Greek word 'cheir', meaning 'hand', reflecting the mirror-image symmetry that characterizes chiral molecules.
Definition
A Chiral Center is a carbon atom that is attached to four different types of atoms or groups of atoms. This arrangement makes the molecule non-superimposable on its mirror image, much like left and right hands. This property is called Chirality.
Importance
Chiral Centers are crucial in the field of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Many drugs are chiral, and the two mirror image forms (or Enantiomers) can have different effects in the body. For example, one enantiomer may have therapeutic effects, while the other may be inactive or even harmful.
Related Terms
- Enantiomer: One of a pair of molecules that are mirror images of each other.
- Stereoisomer: Molecules with the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms, but different three-dimensional orientations.
- Optical Activity: The ability of a chiral molecule to rotate the plane of polarization of plane-polarized light.
- Racemic Mixture: A mixture that contains equal amounts of the (+) and (-) enantiomers of a chiral molecule.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Chiral center
- Wikipedia's article - Chiral center
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