Mirror-Image Medicines

When the other hand matters

An interactive lesson with 5 steps, about 5 minutes: you predict, drag and solve, with instant feedback on every answer. It runs in your browser and needs JavaScript.

What you’ll learn

• Receptors and enzymes are chiral: enantiomers can act differently.
• Thalidomide led to separate testing of enantiomers.
• Racemic drugs carry 50% of each hand.

Steps

1. Chiral bodies
2. Mint or caraway?
3. Thalidomide
4. Ibuprofen
5. Wasted dose