enantiomer
/ɪˈnæntiəmər/
noun
- One of a pair of molecules that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed, like left and right hands.
- Limonene has two enantiomers: one smells like oranges and the other like lemons.
- In chemistry class, we learned that each enantiomer rotates polarized light in opposite directions.
- The drug's active ingredient is a single enantiomer, which is more effective than the mixture.