Stereoisomers

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Isomer \I"so*mer\ ([imac]"s[-o]*m[~e]r), n. [See {Isomeric}.]
     (Chem.)
     A compound which is isomeric with another body or compound; a
     compound having the same chemical composition as another
     compound; a member of an isomeric series.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]


  
     Note: An isomer may be a {structural isomer}, in which some
           of the atoms are bonded to different atoms (as in
           {CH3.CH2.NH2} and {CH3.NH.CH3}), or an {optical
           isomer}, in which the number and types of chemical
           bonds are identical, but the arrangement of the atoms
           in three-dimensional space is different; the latter are
           also called {stereoisomers}.
           [PJC]