D and L
a form of stereochemistry; polarization of light; nearly all biological AA’s are in the “L” form when produced, “D” is rare
D and L are terms used in organic chemistry to describe the three-dimensional orientation (stereochemistry) of molecules or isomers that have chiral centers.
Chirality is the property of a molecule and its mirror image being non-superimposable. A chiral center is a carbon atom bonded to four different groups.
D and L notation refers to the configuration at the chiral center, where D and L stand for dextrorotatory and levorotatory, respectively. These terms do not refer to the direction of rotation of plane-polarized light, but rather to the actual three-dimensional orientation of the molecule.
In the D and L system, the absolute configuration of a chiral center is determined based on its relationship to glyceraldehyde, which is designated with the letter D or L depending on the orientation of its chiral center.
A molecule is designated as D if its chiral center is oriented in the same direction as the chiral center in D-glyceraldehyde, and L if its chiral center is oriented in the opposite direction.
Some common examples of D and L stereoisomers include D-glucose and L-alanine. It is important to note that while D and L notation is useful in determining the stereochemistry of chiral molecules, it does not indicate the actual physical properties of the molecule.
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