Azithromycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic derived from erythromycin. It is one of a la...

Azithromycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic derived from erythromycin. It is one of a large number of what are called macrocyclic antibiotics, so named because they contain a large ring as part of their structure. Like many of the macrocyclic antibiotics, azithromycin has an incredibly complex structure, and it was an enormous challenge for chemists to determine its structural formula.

(a) What is the size of the large ring in this antibiotic? (Chapter 1)

(b) Name the functional groups present in azithromycin. (Chapter 1)

(c) Is azithromycin chiral? If so, how many stereoisomers are possible for this structural formula? (Chapter 6)