stereoisomers

Stereoisomers are molecules that have the same basic arrangement of atoms but differ in the precise spatial orientation of those atoms. Think of them as the same puzzle pieces assembled differently in space, like left and right hands—mirror images that aren’t superimposable. These differences can affect how the molecules behave, especially in biological systems, where these tiny spatial variations can influence how they interact with other molecules. Stereoisomers include enantiomers (mirror images) and diastereomers (non-mirror, different arrangements), and understanding these differences is important in chemistry and medicine.