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Fatty Acids: Saturated and Unsaturated

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State

A fatty acid is a long hydrocarbon chain, saturated when every carbon-carbon bond is single, unsaturated when it has at least one double bond.

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A saturated fatty acid's chain lies straight; a double bond in an unsaturated one kinks its shape.

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Saturated describes how many hydrogens the chain holds at maximum, not a judgment about how the fat is used.