Organic Chemistry Tutorial: Structural geometrical and optical isomerism

by john west | Jun 9, 2011 | school posts, Year 13, K-14

Many Biological molecules are optically active. Optically active organic molecules rotate plane polarised light. To be optically active they must have at least one asymetric carbon in their structure. Most optically active biological molecules rotate light to the left. Optical isomers are called enantiomers and they are non superimposable mirror images of each other. Enantiomers are identical, the only difference between them being the direction in which they rotate light. Special proceedures are used to separate them.

In nature only one enantiomer is biological active.

Organic Chemistry Tutorial: Functional groups and naming organic molecules.

by john west | Jun 9, 2011 | school posts, Year 13, K-14

Organic Chemistry Tutorial: Functional groups and naming organic molecules.

Naming organic molecules requires that you can recognise functional groups and follow a few simple rules.

Changing functional groups on the adrenaline molecule modifies its effects, some are suppressed others are enhanced.

Removing all of the -OH groups for instance turns adrenaline into amphetamine. Amphetamine echoes some of the properties of adrenaline.

Methamphetamine is another molecule with a similar structure. Methamphetamine abuse is a serious social issue in New Zealand where drug busts are a regular occurrence in Auckland suburbs.

Functional groups tutorial.