Posted by avid abulia on June 14, 2003, at 17:57:42
In reply to LARRY: where did you learn/read that stuff?, more: » Larry Hoover, posted by Janelle on June 14, 2003, at 16:49:39
i know you aren`t asking me this question, but i will answer it cuz i got here first and, lo and behold, but here i was posting in the very same thread! it`s okay, though, cuz i practically didn`t notice me, either.
the r-enantiomer is the equivalent of a right hand, and the s-enantiomer is the equivalent of the left. chirality also occurs in amino acids, and (except for in the cell walls of certain bacteria) the d-isoform (equivalent to the r-enantiomer; d stands for dextro-rotary, dextro- is a prefix denoting the right side of something, hence a person who is ambidextrous is <<doubly-right-handed>>) the d-isoform is not produced and is quite toxic in many cases, whereas the l-isoform (levo-rotary, or left-handed form) occurs naturally in all living cells.
the reason r-enantiomers are not always toxic whereas d-isoforms often are is because the body generally does not attempt to incorporate drugs into its proteins except for purposes of excretion.
if you look for online physiology or microbiology tutorials, you will find this information in an easy-to-understand form. (i learned this stuff from bio courses, myself).
~AA
poster:avid abulia
thread:233801
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030614/msgs/234009.html