chirality
Non-superimposable mirror property
Chirality is the property of an object that cannot be superimposed on its mirror image—like left and right hands, which are reflections of each other but not identical.
The concept is fundamental in chemistry, where chiral molecules exist in mirror-image pairs called enantiomers.
These pairs may behave differently in biological systems: one form of a drug might heal while its mirror twin causes harm.
The chirality of amino acids determines how proteins fold.
Mirror-image molecular variant
- stereoisomerMolecule differing only spatially
- chiral resolutionSeparating mirror-image isomers
- chiral auxiliaryDetachable asymmetric synthesis guide
- meso compoundAchiral molecule with stereocenters
Organic compounds forming proteins
- proteinsAmino acid polymers
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
- L-amino acidsLeft-rotating protein components
- peptidesBonded amino acid sequences
biomolecules · thalidomide · pharmacology · origin of life · ribose · deoxyribose · protein folding · biosynthesis
Reversed visual duplicate
- asymmetryAbsence of balanced form
- superimposableAble to overlay exactly
- reflectionReturned light or thought
- left-rightSide-to-side directional pair
Dominant on sinister side
- right-handedFavoring one's stronger side
- ambidextrousSkilled with both hands
- lateralityDominant side tendency
- dominanceSuperior influence over others
dexterity · sinistral · dextral · southpaw · brain hemisphere · handwriting · cross-dominance
Nearly massless, chargeless fermions
- beta decayRadioactive nucleon transformation process
- antimatterSubstance of antiparticles
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- fermionsHalf-spin matter constituents
enantiomer
Mirror-image molecular variant
- stereoisomerMolecule differing only spatially
- chiral resolutionSeparating mirror-image isomers
- chiral auxiliaryDetachable asymmetric synthesis guide
amino acids
Organic compounds forming proteins
- proteinsAmino acid polymers
- enzymesReaction-speeding proteins
- L-amino acidsLeft-rotating protein components
peptides · biomolecules · thalidomide · pharmacology · origin of life · ribose · deoxyribose · protein folding · biosynthesis
mirror image
Reversed visual duplicate
- asymmetryAbsence of balanced form
- superimposableAble to overlay exactly
- reflectionReturned light or thought
left-handed
Dominant on sinister side
- right-handedFavoring one's stronger side
- ambidextrousSkilled with both hands
- lateralityDominant side tendency
dominance · dexterity · sinistral · dextral · southpaw · brain hemisphere · handwriting · cross-dominance
neutrinos
Nearly massless, chargeless fermions
- beta decayRadioactive nucleon transformation process
- antimatterSubstance of antiparticles
- spinRapid rotation around axis
fermions · particle physics · standard model · mirror symmetry
- chemistryatom, atoms, organic chemistry, molecule, chemistry
- organic chemistrybenzene ring, carbon chain, carbon compounds, hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon
- crystallographycrystal structure, crystal systems, crystal growth, dislocations, crystallization
- Knot Theoryunknot, figure-eight knot, link, linking number, braid
- particle physicsquark, quarks, lepton, leptons, boson
- brain lateralitylaterality, handedness, brain lateralization, left-handedness, right-handedness
chiralitymirror symmetry
Congruence through reflection
bilateral symmetry · symmetry · reflection symmetry · planarity · uniformity
chiralityachiral
Identical to mirror image
symmetric · meso · planar · radial symmetry