Updated June 09, 2015.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Definition:
Isomers are identical chemical structures that are non-superimposable mirror images of one another, typically with different configurations around a central carbon atom. The left-handed orientation is called the L-isomer, or levo-, and the right-handed orientation is called the R-isomer, or dextro-. The mixture of both the L-isomer and the R-isomer is referred to as a racemic mixture.
Examples:
In pharmacology, only one of these orientations is the active drug, and the active isomer is often developed in hopes of achieves a more effective drug with fewer side effects. Such examples in the field of allergy include Xyzal (levocetirizine) and Xopenex (levalbuterol).
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Definition:
Isomers are identical chemical structures that are non-superimposable mirror images of one another, typically with different configurations around a central carbon atom. The left-handed orientation is called the L-isomer, or levo-, and the right-handed orientation is called the R-isomer, or dextro-. The mixture of both the L-isomer and the R-isomer is referred to as a racemic mixture.
Examples:
In pharmacology, only one of these orientations is the active drug, and the active isomer is often developed in hopes of achieves a more effective drug with fewer side effects. Such examples in the field of allergy include Xyzal (levocetirizine) and Xopenex (levalbuterol).
