Which properties are characteristic of the most abundant fatty acids found in plants and animals?
I. They contain an even number of carbon atoms, in the range 10-19.
II. The cis isomer predominates.
III. The unsaturated fatty acids have higher melting points than the corresponding saturated acids.
IV. The most abundant fatty acids are lauric, myristic and linolenic.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

I. Fatty acids typically have an even number of carbon atoms, often in the range of 12 to 24, making the range of 10-19 plausible for common fatty acids. II. The cis isomer is indeed more common in nature than the trans isomer, particularly in unsaturated fatty acids found in plants and animals. III is incorrect because unsaturated fatty acids actually have lower melting points than their saturated counterparts due to the kinks in their structure caused by double bonds, which prevent tight packing. IV is incorrect because, while lauric (C12) and myristic (C14) acids are common, especially in certain plant fats like coconut oil, linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) is just one of several essential fatty acids found in nature, and not necessarily among the most abundant when considering all plants and animals.

Which Properties Are Characteristic of the Most Abundant Fatty Acids