What is a chiral carbon and optical isomerism?

A chiral carbon is a carbon with four distinct molecular groups bonded to it. The main consequence of this is imposing optical isomerism to the compound. Optical isomers can be thought of as a non-superimposable mirror images of its self, much like your hands. Understanding and respecting chirality is critical in drug design and development.

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Answered by Michael K. Chemistry tutor

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