Thalinomide

Optical isomer is named for effect plane of polarization. When polarized light passes through organic matter, plane rotates. This organic matter is one or mixture of enantiomers.

If there is a symmetry plane at the central carbon atom this molecular has no enantiomer and has no chirality. That means it is not optical isomer, either. So it needs to have a central carbon atom attached four different group. Then, the molecular can have non-superimosable mirror image which is the other one of enantiomers.


However it could be very dangerous when they are medicine and toxic substance each other. There is a example, "Thalidomide". This has ability to relieve symptom of morning sickness but isomer makes deformed children. Many Thalidomide was sold for migration but it had so serious side effect to kill lot of baby. Therefore their apology is not enough to be forgiven.

In my opinion, it should not be permitted as a medicine if one optical isomer had side effects. Although we have technique to separate two isomers into one it has potency to change in many different environments especially in our body. So we have to set laws to obstruct these matters to be permitted.


Source of Information :

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/basicorg/isomerism/optical.html

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/04/opinion-why-thalidomide-apology-is-not-enough/?iref=allsearch