alleryStart learning →What makes a fatty acid saturated?
AIt carries one double bond and the maximum hydrogen count
BIt has only double bonds and the minimum hydrogen count
CIt has only single bonds and the maximum hydrogen count
DIt carries a kink that stops the chains packing together
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. It has only single bonds and the maximum hydrogen count
1. Look at the bonds between neighbouring carbons in the hydrocarbon chain.
2. If only single bonds are present, the fatty acid is saturated.
3. Saturated means saturated with hydrogen, so the number of hydrogens on the carbon skeleton is maximised.
4. Any double bond would remove hydrogens and make the acid unsaturated, so the option with one double bond describes the opposite case.
5. The kink belongs to cis unsaturated chains, so that option names an unsaturated feature.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 3 "Biological Macromolecules", section 3.3 Lipids_
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