- d-
- Prefix indicating a chemical compound to be dextrorotatory; should be avoided when (+) or (−) could be used. Cf.:l-.Prefix indicating that a chemical compound is sterically related to d-glyceraldehyde, the basis of stereochemical nomenclature. Cf.:l-.* * *deci-[10-1]
* * *
d- .dē, 'dē prefix2) having a similar configuration at a selected carbon atom to the configuration of dextrorotatory glyceraldehyde usu. printed as a small capital <D-fructose>* * *
a chemical prefix (small capital D) that specifies the relative configuration of an enantiomer, the mirror image configuration being specified as L-. Carbohydrates are designated as D or L depending on their configuration at the asymmetric carbon atom most distant from the carbonyl functional group; those with the same configuration as the D-glyceraldehyde (the arbitrarily chosen standard) are in the D (or Dg) configurational family. Amino acids are designated according to their configuration at the asymmetric carbon atom closest to the carbonyl group; D-serine is the standard and similarly configured amino acids are designated D or Ds. All of the α-amino acids occurring in proteins have the L configuration; a few D-amino acids occur in short peptides produced by bacteria. The symbols R and S, indicating absolute configuration, are preferable.
Medical dictionary. 2011.