What is the significance of a chiral center in organic molecules?

A chiral center, typically a carbon atom bonded to four different substituents, is significant because it leads to the formation of non-superimposable mirror images, known as enantiomers. This property of chirality means that two molecules can have the same molecular formula and connectivity of atoms but are arranged in such a way that one cannot be aligned perfectly with its mirror image. This characteristic is vital in many areas of chemistry and biochemistry because enantiomers can exhibit drastically different behaviors in biological systems, including differences in taste, smell, and biological activity, as well as implications for drug efficacy and safety.

The presence of a chiral center does not indicate a double bond, nor does it inherently determine the molecular weight or affect boiling points, even though these properties can be influenced by the overall molecular structure. The unique feature of chirality is its capacity to generate distinct stereoisomers, which has profound implications in the field of pharmaceuticals, as one enantiomer may be therapeutically active while the other may be inactive or harmful.