[Campbell Biology P.122] Which of the following statements accurately describes a key differ... | Practice Question

Which of the following statements accurately describes a key difference between saturated and unsaturated fats based on the provided text?

  • A: Saturated fats typically contain cis double bonds, which cause kinks in their hydrocarbon chains.
  • B: Unsaturated fats are generally solid at room temperature because their molecules pack closely together.
  • C: Saturated fats are predominantly found in plants and fish, while unsaturated fats are common in animal fats.
  • D: Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds, leading to fewer hydrogen atoms compared to saturated fatty acids of similar carbon chain length.

Explanation

Saturated fatty acids have the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms bonded to their carbon skeleton because they lack double bonds. Unsaturated fatty acids, however, have one or more double bonds, which means fewer hydrogen atoms can be bonded to the carbon atoms involved in the double bond.