Organic Chemistry I - Chapter 5 Stereochemistry

Stereochemistry - CM 2113 Organic Chemistry I

Stereochemistry is the study of the three-dimensional structure of molecules.
Biological systems exhibit exquisite selectivity, often discriminating between molecules that possess subtle differences in their stereochemistry. A notable example is Thalidomide, where different stereoisomers caused vastly different biological effects.
Constitutional isomers (also known as structural isomers) differ in their bonding sequence, meaning their atoms are connected in different ways.
Stereoisomers (also known as configurational isomers) possess the same bonding sequence; however, they differ in the orientation of their atoms in space.