L sugars

Definition

L sugars are a type of sugar molecule that are mirror images of D sugars, distinguished by the spatial arrangement of atoms around their chiral center farthest from the carbonyl group. They are named after the Latin "laevus," meaning left, indicating the direction in which they rotate plane-polarized light.

Related terms

Chirality:

The property of a molecule having non-superposable mirror images, much like one's left and right hands.

Enantiomers:

Molecules that are mirror images of each other but cannot be superimposed, similar to how L and D sugars relate.

Optical Activity:

The ability of chiral molecules to rotate plane-polarized light either to the left (levorotatory) or to the right (dextrorotatory), a characteristic used to distinguish between L and D forms of sugars