CHIRALITY
Charles François (2004). CHIRALITY, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 425.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 425 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented, Methodology or model |
The complementarity but opposed symmetry of forms.
The term, derived from the greek language, alludes to the opposed symmetry of the hands (“Kheir” = hand in Greek)
An example are levogyre and dextrogyre tartaric acid crystals, an opposed symmetry discovered by PASTEUR. Chirality is also very common in living systems. It seems to be a quite basic natural feature, somehow related to symmetry-breaking.
See also
Enantiomers