Answer:
See explanation
Explanation:
The drug thalidomide with molecular formula C13H10N2O4 was widely prescribed by doctors for morning sickness in pregnant women in the 1960s.
The drug was sold as a racemic mixture (+)(R)-thalidomide and (-)(S)-thalidomide.
Unfortunately, only the (+)(R)-thalidomide exhibited the required effect while (-)(S)-thalidomide is a teratogen.
This goes a long way to underscore the importance of separation of enantiomers in drug production.
Therefore, all the teratogenic effects observed when using the drug thalidomide was actually as a result of the presence of (-)(S)-thalidomide, the unwanted enantiomer.
