Why do enantiomers have different chemical properties?

How different, exactly, are these two compounds, (+)- and (-)-carvone? Are they completely different isomers, with different physical properties? In most ways, the answer is no. read more

The different chemical properties of the two enantiomers relate only to reacting with other enantiomers. The chemical reaction between either enantiomer and a symmetrical compound is always the same. However many biological molecules are enantiomeric - largely because biological proteins are built from only the L-isomers of amino-acids. read more

When a pair of enantiomers interact with another chiral molecule, they form a now non-identical diastereomeric pair, and it is this which gives rise to the different biological or chemical response. The best example I think is how enantiomers of biologically active compounds interact with receptors in the body. read more