An object is chiral if it has a non-superimposable mirror image. Our hands are mirror images that cannot be superimposed on each other therefore they are chiral. There are objects that do have a superimposable mirror image, like a drinking glass or ball and these are known to be achiral (Morris Hein, 2013). A carbon compound needs to have four different atoms or groups attached to at least one carbon atom for it to be classified as chiral (Timberlake, 2009). Chiral compounds are also called enantiomers and can be represented in a Fischer projection.
Chiral compounds react differently to each other in the body. Although they are a mirror image of themselves they can both have very different properties. One example is with the drug ibuprofen,
Chiral compounds react differently to each other in the body. Although they are a mirror image of themselves they can both have very different properties. One example is with the drug ibuprofen,