Optical isomers, also known as enantiomers, are a type of stereoisomer that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. This means that if you were to place one isomer over the other, they would not align perfectly, much like left and right hands. Optical isomers have the same molecular formula and connectivity of atoms but differ in the spatial arrangement of their atoms. These isomers exhibit different optical activities, meaning they can rotate plane-polarized light in opposite directions. One isomer may rotate light to the right (dextrorotatory), while the other rotates it to the left (levorotatory). This property is crucial in fields like pharmaceuticals, where the effectiveness and safety of drugs can depend on their specific optical isomer.