Biologie. Chemie. Zeměpis A journal for science teachers and science education researchers

Chirality known and unknown (part one)

Jaromír Literák

Volume 32 (2023), issue 4 pp. 22–33 published online 13 March 2024 Czech

DOI https://doi.org/10.14712/25337556.2023.4.3

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Abstract

The existence of an object, non-superimposable on its mirror image, constitutes the phenomenon of chirality. This phenomenon is often treated as a curiosity without broader practical consequences. This paper aims to show the significant implications of chirality for chemistry and biology. Chirality is inherent to all living organisms and is essential for their functioning. For instance, biomolecules are composed of chiral building blocks (amino acids, monosaccharides), which are chiral and occur predominantly with one sense of handedness (homochirality of life). The explanation of the evolution of the homochirality of life is therefore one of the important questions connected with the origin of life. The paper also shows why asymmetry with respect to mirror reflection is a general attribute of our world. Historical milestones in the scientific reflection on chirality are also presented, starting with the French crystallographers of the late 18th century, through the work of Pasteur, the fundamentals of organic stereochemistry postulated by van 't Hoff and Le Bel, the elucidation of a structure of monosaccharides by Fischer, and ending with the discovery of the absolute configuration of a molecule and the confirmation of parity violation of weak interaction.

Keywords

chirality · homochirality of life · optical activity · history of stereochemistry

How to cite

Literák, J. (2023). Chiralita známá i neznámá (první část). Biologie-Chemie-Zeměpis, 32(4), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.14712/25337556.2023.4.3

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