Biomolecules: Carbohydrates

Optical isomers, also known as enantiomers, are compounds that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. They arise from chiral molecules that have at least one carbon atom bonded to four different substituents, resulting in two possible configurations. Optical isomers can rotate plane-polarized light in different directions: one type rotates the light clockwise (dextrorotatory) and the other counterclockwise (levorotatory). This property is used to distinguish between the two forms in chemical analysis. Optical isomerism is significant in various fields, particularly in pharmaceuticals, where the two isomers can have different biological activities.