Chiral compounds

Chiral compounds are molecules that have a mirror-image form, much like how your left and right hands are mirror images but not identical. These "handed" versions of a molecule are called enantiomers. Although they have the same molecular formula and connectivity, their three-dimensional arrangement differs, which can influence how they interact with biological systems or chemicals. Chirality is important in many fields, such as medicine, where one enantiomer of a drug may be effective while the other could be less effective or cause side effects.