Final answer:
95% of fats are in the form of triglycerides, consisting of a glycerol backbone and fatty acids. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats remain liquid. The composition of fats and oils varies widely, with palmitic and oleic acids being common types.
Step-by-step explanation:
Approximately 95% of fats are in the form of triglycerides. These are compounds primarily consisting of a glycerol backbone and three fatty acids. The fatty acids have long chains of hydrocarbons that extend from the glycerol molecule. Triglycerides, or dietary lipids, are found abundantly in body tissues and a variety of foods such as butter, mayonnaise, and oils like olive and canola.
Saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature due to tightly packed fatty acid chains, are found in animal sources and some plant sources, for instance, animal fats with stearic acid and butter containing butyric acid. Conversely, unsaturated fats have at least one double bond in the fatty acid chain, causing a bend that prevents tight packing, thus remaining liquid at room temperature as oils.
It's important to note that no single formula represents all naturally occurring fats and oils due to the complexity and variety of triglycerides. However, examples of common fats and oils indicate that palmitic acid is a prevalent saturated fatty acid, while oleic acid is a common unsaturated fatty acid.