Thalidomide and L-dopa, shown below, are examples of pharmaceutical drugs that occur as enantiomers, or molecules that
A)have identical three-dimensional shapes.
B)are mirror images of one another.
C)lack an asymmetric carbon.
D)differ in the location of their double bonds.
E)differ in their electrical charge.

Question

Thalidomide and L-dopa, shown below, are examples of pharmaceutical drugs that occur as enantiomers, or molecules that 
A)have identical three-dimensional shapes. 
B)are mirror images of one another. 
C)lack an asymmetric carbon. 
D)differ in the location of their double bonds. 
E)differ in their electrical charge.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Enantiomers are molecules that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. They have identical physical and chemical properties except for their interaction with plane-polarized light (optical activity). Thalidomide and L-dopa are examples of drugs that occur as enantiomers.

Thalidomide and L-Dopa, Shown Below, Are Examples of Pharmaceutical Drugs