Question

What structural characteristic of thalidomide accounts for the fact that in one form it acts as a sedative and in another it acts as a teratogen?

a) The presence of a chiral center
b) The number of carbon atoms
c) The color of the compound
d) The molecular weight

Answer 1

The presence of a chiral center in thalidomide is the structural characteristic that accounts for its dual functionality as a sedative and a teratogen.

Step-by-step explanation:

The structural characteristic of thalidomide that accounts for its dual functionality as a sedative and a teratogen is the presence of a chiral center. A chiral center is an asymmetric carbon atom that gives rise to different enantiomers or mirror-image isomers. Thalidomide has a chiral center, which means it can exist as two different enantiomers: the S-isomer and the R-isomer. The S-isomer is the teratogenic form, responsible for the birth defects associated with thalidomide exposure during pregnancy.