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All dietary fats contain a mixture of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but generally one type is primary. Which type of fatty acid is generally primary in dietary fats?

1) Saturated fatty acids
2) Monounsaturated fatty acids
3) Polyunsaturated fatty acids
4) Cannot be determined

User Hett
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The primary type of fatty acid in dietary fats cannot be determined without knowing the specific food source, as dietary fats contain varying proportions of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is asking which type of fatty acid is generally primary in dietary fats. The answer can be determined by understanding that dietary fats contain a mixture of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but are often characterized by the predominant type of fatty acids they contain.

Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds and are typically solid at room temperature, being found in high amounts in animal products like butter, lard, and fatty meats. Monounsaturated fatty acids have one double bond and are usually liquid at room temperature, as found in olive oil. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have two or more double bonds and are also generally liquid at room temperature, common in plant oils and fish.

Thus, it's not possible to definitively state a single type of fatty acid as primary in all dietary fats without specifying the source of the fat. Therefore, the correct answer is (4) Cannot be determined without additional context regarding the specific food source.

User Deependra Solanky
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