What is meant by disymmetry or chirality | Stereochemistry | Organic Chemistry

An asymmetric carbon atom (chiral carbon) is a carbon atom that is attached to four different types of atoms or groups of atoms
When a molecule contains one chiral (asymmetric) carbon atom, it exists in two enantiomeric forms, i.e., in two optically active (dextro and laevo) forms. This is because the molecule can be represented by two configurational structures which bear the relationship of object and mirror image and are non-superimposable.
However, in the case of molecules which contain two or more chiral centers, it is found that under certain conditions, they exist in optically inactive (nonresolvable) forms.
At the same time there are certain other molecules which do not contain any chiral center, but still, they exist in optically active forms. Thus, the mere presence or absence of a chiral center is not a sufficient condition for optical activity.
The main criterion for optical activity is that the molecule as a whole must be chiral (asymmetric), i.e., it must be non-superimposable on its mirror image. In other words, the chirality of a molecule can be determined by finding whether the molecule is superimposable on its mirror image or not.
The most satisfactory way to do this would be to construct a model of the molecule and then build its mirror image; then if the model and the mirror image are superimposable, the molecule is optically inactive, but if they are non-superimposable then the compound is optically active. However, this is not always convenient or possible.
A more convenient way is to find if any of the elements of symmetry, such as a plane of symmetry, a centre of symmetry or an axis of symmetry is present in the molecule. If anyone of these is present in the molecule, then the molecule is symmetrical, i.e., it will be superimposable on its mirror image and hence it will be optically inactive. If all the elements of symmetry are absent, then the molecule will be non-superimposable on its mirror image and it will exist in optically active forms.

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