Why are enantiomers commonly used in organic chemistry and biochemistry?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the reason for the common occurrence of enantiomers in organic chemistry and biochemistry, and their rarity in other parts of chemistry. The explanation given is that the 3D design of molecules is crucial in their interactions with receptors, making enantiomers important in these fields. In contrast, other areas of chemistry focus on different aspects of molecules and their properties, making the study of enantiomers less relevant.
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Arnaud921
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Hi everybody,

I have a physics homework for Monday, and I don't understand a question very well :

"Why are enantiomers very commonly met in organic chemistry and biochemistry but not so often in other parts of chemistry ?"

I think I can answer the first part of the question without too much problem, but I have no idea how to explain why enantiomers are not used in the other parts of chemistry...

In class, we talked about chirality, receptor molecules and drugs.

So i think ennantiomers are commonly used in organic chemistry and biochemistry, because the 3D design of the molecules is very important in the way molecules will interact with the different receptors in the body, as we saw in the example of drugs.

For the moment, i would say it's not so used in other parts of chemistry, because we don't study neither how the molecules interact with each other nor their bio properties, but we especially work on their concentrations in a reaction, the electrons which travels between molecules, the protons given in an acid/basis reaction, etc. (It's the only ideas which came up in my mind^^)

If someone could help me answer this question please ! :)

Ps : I'm a French student so if i made English mistakes, my bad, you can correct me too ^^

Thanks.
 
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Simply because Organic chemistry generally deals with covalent bonding between C and various other atoms and thus, you know, that there arises the chances for chirality. And furthermore, this chirality affects the properties of the molecule by quite some extent, enough for them to be eligible for separate study. There is different properties to different enantiomers and that's why they are a common area for study.

Chirality and enantiomerism gets all the more important in biochemistry because their an enantiomer means a plethora of difference. I suppose it even means the difference between medicine and poison.

On the other hand, in inorganic, there is no relevance in studying the chirality of molecules as they do not "seem" to affect the properties of the molecule as per the study area of the inorganic chemistry.
 
  • #3
Thank you AGNuke :)
 

FAQ: Why are enantiomers commonly used in organic chemistry and biochemistry?

What are enantiomers in chemistry?

Enantiomers are molecules that are mirror images of each other and cannot be superimposed on one another. They have the same chemical and physical properties, but differ in their spatial arrangement of atoms.

How do enantiomers differ from diastereomers?

Enantiomers are mirror images of each other, while diastereomers are not. Enantiomers have the same physical and chemical properties, while diastereomers have different properties. Enantiomers also have opposite optical activities, while diastereomers have different physical properties such as melting points and boiling points.

What is chirality in enantiomers?

Chirality is a property of enantiomers that describes their non-superimposable nature. It arises from the presence of a chiral center, which is a carbon atom bonded to four different groups. Chirality is also known as handedness, where one enantiomer is left-handed and the other is right-handed.

How are enantiomers named?

Enantiomers are named using the R/S system, which is based on the Cahn-Ingold-Prelog priority rules. The highest priority group is assigned to the right side, and the lowest priority group is assigned to the left side. If the lowest priority group is facing away from the viewer, the molecule is named R, and if it is facing towards the viewer, the molecule is named S.

What are the applications of enantiomers in chemistry?

Enantiomers have various applications in chemistry, including in drug development and in the food and fragrance industry. Due to their different physiological effects, enantiomers can have different therapeutic effects in the body. In the food and fragrance industry, enantiomers are used to create different flavors and scents.

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