StereoisomerismIn stereochemistry, stereoisomerism, or spatial isomerism, is a form of isomerism in which molecules have the same molecular formula and sequence of bonded atoms (constitution), but differ in the three-dimensional orientations of their atoms in space. This contrasts with structural isomers, which share the same molecular formula, but the bond connections or their order differs. By definition, molecules that are stereoisomers of each other represent the same structural isomer.
Biological systemA biological system is a complex network which connects several biologically relevant entities. Biological organization spans several scales and are determined based different structures depending on what the system is. Examples of biological systems at the macro scale are populations of organisms. On the organ and tissue scale in mammals and other animals, examples include the circulatory system, the respiratory system, and the nervous system.
IsoelectronicityIsoelectronicity is a phenomenon observed when two or more molecules have the same structure (positions and connectivities among atoms) and the same electronic configurations, but differ by what specific elements are at certain locations in the structure. For example, COcarbon monoxide, NO+nitrosonium, and N2Nitrogen are isoelectronic, while CH3COCH3acetone and CH3N=NCH3 are not. This definition is sometimes termed valence isoelectronicity.
Choice functionA choice function (selector, selection) is a mathematical function f that is defined on some collection X of nonempty sets and assigns some element of each set S in that collection to S by f(S); f(S) maps S to some element of S. In other words, f is a choice function for X if and only if it belongs to the direct product of X. Let X = { {1,4,7}, {9}, {2,7} }. Then the function that assigns 7 to the set {1,4,7}, 9 to {9}, and 2 to {2,7} is a choice function on X.
