Stereoisomerism is the arrangement of atoms in molecules whose connectivity remains the same but their arrangement in space is different in each isomer. The two main types of stereoisomerism are: DiaStereomerism (including 'cis-trans isomerism') Optical Isomerism (also known as 'enantiomerism' and 'chirality').
Cis-trans isomerism- Cis/trans isomerism occurs when a double bond is present, because the pi bond involved prevents that bond from being "twisted" the same way that a single bond can be. A good example is 1,2-dichloroethene: C2H2Cl2.
Optical Isomerism- Optical isomers are stereoisomers formed when asymmetric centers are present, for example, a carbon with four different groups bonded to it. Enantiomers are two optical isomers (i.e. isomers that are reflections of each other).