What is a characteristic of saturated fats?

Saturated fats are characterized by having single bonds between their carbon atoms. This structure means that each carbon atom in the fatty acid chain is fully saturated with hydrogen atoms, which is why they are called "saturated" fats. The lack of double bonds allows saturated fats to pack closely together, which commonly results in them being solid at room temperature.

In contrast, other types of fats, such as unsaturated fats, contain one or more double bonds in their carbon chains, which introduces kinks that prevent tight packing and generally results in a liquid state at room temperature. Thus, the defining feature of saturated fats is their composition of carbon-carbon single bonds, leading to their specific physical and chemical properties.