Tartaric acid is an organic acid found in plants such as grapes, tamarind and bananas. It's a diacid, which means that a molecule that can be ionized in water has a hydrogen on each side. 
One of the interesting properties of tartaric acid is that it's chiral. This means that its internal structure does not have a symmetric plane and has a mirror image that cannot be superimposed. Hand mirror images, also known as enantiomers, can be compared to a person's hand.
The most common use of tartaric acid is as a food additive. It is often added to certain types of candy to add a sour taste. Cream of tartaric acid is typically used to stabilize egg whites and is the active ingredient in baking powder. In addition, this acid can be found in wine.
Tartaric acid can also act as an emetic drug to induce vomiting, and it ACTS as a laxative. In addition, it has antioxidant properties. This means that tartaric acid can limit or prevent molecular oxidation in the body, preventing the formation of free radicals.
