Stereoisomerd have the same structural formula but a different arrangement of atoms in space. There are two types.
E/Z is shown around a double bond.
optical isomerism is shown around a chiral carbon, such as those in amino acids. These carbons have 4 different groups attached to them.
optical isomers are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. They are chemically different and al so rotate plane polarised light in different directions. If there are equal amounts of each chiral isometric, the mixture is called racemic.
In organisms, usually only one of the chiral isomers are biologically active, and only reacts with specific enzymes.
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