Amino Acids: Structure, Chirality, and Isomerism

This lecture covers the fundamental concepts related to amino acids, including their chemical structure, classification, and importance in biological systems. It also delves into the significance of chirality in molecules, the measurement of optical rotation, and the criteria for chirality determination. The discussion extends to elements of chirality, such as asymmetric carbons and heteroatoms, as well as absolute configuration determination using Cahn-Ingold-Prelog rules. The lecture further explores diastereoisomers, Fischer projections, and the nomenclature of sugars and amino acids based on the D,L system. Examples of molecules with multiple stereocenters and meso compounds are also presented.