右旋 (yòu xuán) — (technical) right-handed rotation, dextrorotation; (chemistry) dextrorotatory isomer or substance

Definition

Technical/scientific term for clockwise rotation — e.g. of polarized light, helices, or molecular isomers. Paired with 左旋 ('left-handed, levorotatory') in chemistry and biology.

noun
(technical) right-handed rotationdextrorotation(chemistry) dextrorotatory isomer or substance

Examples

  • 右旋，。
    Zhè zhǒng wù zhì shì yòu xuán de, néng shǐ piān zhèn guāng xiàng yòu xuán zhuǎn.
    This substance is dextrorotatory; it rotates polarized light to the right.
  • 右旋酐。
    yòu xuán Táng gān zài yī xué shàng cháng yòng zuò xuè jiāng dài yòng pǐn.
    Dextran is commonly used in medicine as a plasma substitute.
  • DNA右旋。
    DNA de shuāng luó xuán jié gòu shì yòu xuán de.
    The double helix structure of DNA is right-handed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

右yòuright
旋xuánrotate

右 gives the direction, while 旋 gives the turning motion.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu右yòu
Same sound today

右 is made from 又, which supplied the sound, with 口 added as a distinguishing mark.

Open 右 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 㫃㫃㫃flag
  • 止止zhǐfoot
  • 〇〇língcircle

旋 combines 㫃 (a flag), 止 (a foot), and 〇 (a circle), and 〇 also gave the sound.

Open 旋 →

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