The Fischer Projection
The Fischer projection
Fischer projection of carbohydrates
The most important application of the Fischer projection is that of the illustration of molecules containing several asymmetric carbon atoms which are part of a continuous carbon chain. In the case of carbohydrates, for example, the carbon chain is arranged in an overall eclipsed conformation, so that the chain is arch-shaped and is assumed to lie on a convex surface. The flattening of this surface onto the illustration plane yields the Fischer projection of the carbohydrate molecule.