Do enantiomers smell different?

[ename1]

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So do they smell different?
Chad says they smell the same in his videos, but I thought they smelled different, as in the case of R-Carvone and S-Carvone, where one smells like spearmint and the other smells like caraway.
Can anyone clear this up?

 

[duckdds]

So do they smell different?
Chad says they smell the same in his videos, but I thought they smelled different, as in the case of R-Carvone and S-Carvone, where one smells like spearmint and the other smells like caraway.
Can anyone clear this up?

S and R carvone are enantiomers with chiral carbons. They smell differently because our noses are chiral and we can detect the difference. Every physical property (i.e. boiling pt, polarity, etc) is the same though

 

[americanpierg]

So do they smell different?
Chad says they smell the same in his videos, but I thought they smelled different, as in the case of R-Carvone and S-Carvone, where one smells like spearmint and the other smells like caraway.
Can anyone clear this up?

Thats stupid lol. Interpretation of smell involves specific physiological interactions between the olfactory receptors and the ordor molecules. Since R and S Carvone aren't the same molecules, even though they have the same physical properties, chances are there may be instances where they are going to be interpreted differently by the receptors. One might react with a group that does the whole spearmint smell thing while the other with the group that does the caraway smell. Think of how D glucose and L glucose work different within the body.

 

[ename1]

Thats stupid lol. Interpretation of smell involves specific physiological interactions between the olfactory receptors and the ordor molecules.

Stupid huh? Maybe you could explain one more thing: what is an ordor molecule?

 

[herkulease]

This isn't something that will be on the test. Don't spend our time on it.

Just understand that main difference between R/S enatinomers of molecule is that they rotate light in different directions. They are the same in all other ways.

things like taste and smell are subjective. It may be obvious to one person but not to the next. So they won't bother to ask you that.