The biological activity of one of a set of enantiomers may be very different from the biological activity of the other optical isomers.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Enantiomers are mirror images of each other and have the same physical and chemical properties, but they differ in their biological activity. This is because enzymes and other biological molecules in the body usually interact with specific enantiomers in a stereoselective manner, meaning that they may have different affinities for different forms of a compound. Thus, one enantiomer may be biologically active while the other may be completely inactive or even produce harmful effects.

The Biological Activity of One of a Set of Enantiomers