I am a first semester medical student. I was reading the harper's biochemistry and when I reached to the carbohydrates section I have been involved with a question about enantiomers, related to D and L coding of biomolecules.

 

The book assumed D-glyceraldehyde and L-glyceraldehyde as enantiomers but their aldehyde and CH2OH groups are identical in both forms.

 

So, would you please help me to understand this, or just introduce me some references (shorts are more preferred) that help me to improve my principal knowledge about this problem?

 

Thank you

Edited March 1, 201411 yr by Kaymas

the difference between the D and L forms of glyceraldehyde is the carbon between the aldehyde group and the CH2OH.

Read a bit about optical isomerism and that would really help you.