Why many of the important molecules in our bodies almost always occur in just one chiral form (either right or left handed) when they could potentially exist in either is a mystery that has confounded researchers for years. This mirror-image phenomenon – or “handedness” – has captured the imagination of a UCLA research group led […]
Tag Archives | chirality
Extraterrestrial amino acids left-handed
NASA scientists analyzing the dust of meteorites say that the extraterrestrial biological molecules brought to Earth by meteorite impacts could help explain why the chemistry of life on Earth is left-handed. Proteins are used in everything from structures like hair to enzymes, the catalysts that speed up or regulate chemical reactions. Just as the 26 […]