The word "antimerism" is spelled with the prefix "anti-" meaning "against" and the root "merism" meaning "division into parts." The pronunciation is /æntiˈmɛrɪzəm/. The "a" is pronounced as in "cat," the "e" is pronounced as in "met," and the "i" is pronounced as in "hit." The stress is on the second syllable, with a long "i" sound. In science, antimerism refers to the lack of symmetry between corresponding parts of an organism or structure.
Antimerism is a term used in chemistry to describe a phenomenon where two substances or molecules possess molecular structures that are mirror images of each other, but do not superimpose when aligned. Each molecule is referred to as an enantiomer of the other. This concept is a fundamental aspect of stereochemistry.
Enantiomers have the same physical and chemical properties, except in specific cases where their interaction with other chiral substances differs. Antimerism arises due to the presence of chirality, which is the property of a molecule to be non-superposable on its mirror image. This chirality can be attributed to the presence of asymmetric centers or the lack of a plane of symmetry within the molecule.
The recognition and understanding of antimerism are crucial in various fields, such as pharmaceuticals, where differences in biological activity or therapeutic efficacy can occur between enantiomers. This phenomenon is known as enantiomeric selectivity. It is important for scientists to identify and separate the enantiomers to ensure the safe and effective use of drugs and to avoid possible side effects caused by the unintended actions of one enantiomer.
Overall, antimerism is a concept that refers to the non-superimposable mirror-image relationship between two enantiomers. Its significance lies in the potential differences in biological activity or chemical interactions between these enantiomers, making it an important aspect to consider in various scientific applications.
The word "antimerism" is a combination of two roots: "anti-" and "merism".
The prefix "anti-" comes from the Greek word "antí", meaning "against" or "opposite". It is commonly used to indicate opposition or reversal.
The second part, "merism", comes from the Greek word "merísma", which means "division" or "part". In English, "merism" refers to the rhetorical device of dividing a whole into its separate parts, often used to describe pairs of contrasting elements.
Therefore, "antimerism" combines these two roots to convey the idea of opposing or contrasting divisions or parts.