Final answer:
Fats are categorized as saturated or unsaturated; saturated fats are solid at room temperature, found in animal products and include butter and meat, while unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are found in plants and fish, such as olive oil and nuts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fats are an important part of our diet, providing energy and aiding in the absorption of certain vitamins. They can be categorized into saturated and unsaturated fats, each with distinct characteristics and food sources. Here is the explanation and examples for these types of fats.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature and are found primarily in animal products. Each carbon atom in the fatty acid chains of saturated fats is connected to other carbons by single bonds, which allows the chains to pack closely together, making them solid at room temperature. Examples of foods high in saturated fats include butter, which contains butyric acid, and meat, which contains stearic and palmitic acids.
Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats include both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They typically occur in plant and fish sources and are liquid at room temperature. The fatty acid chains in unsaturated fats have one or more carbon-carbon double bonds, which create kinks in the chain preventing them from packing tightly together. Common sources of unsaturated fats are olive oil, corn oil, avocado, and nuts.
To pair the type of fat with a correct example or description: Saturated fats are exemplified by butter and meats, and are solid at room temperature due to their fully single-bonded carbon chains, while unsaturated fats are exemplified by plant oils like olive oil, which remain liquid at room temperature due to their carbon-carbon double bonds.