| Palmitic acid and oleic acid are fatty acids. Fatty acids are long chain monocarboxylic acids.
Palmitic acid is a 16 carbon saturated fatty acid (with no double bonds).
Oleic acid is slightly larger (18 carbons) and is an example of an unsaturated fatty acid because it also has an alkene functional group.
The alkene of most natural unsaturated fats is in the cis-configuration.
Palmitic Acid is a saturated fat (with no alkenes).
Fatty acids are use to make energy storage molecules such as triacylglycerols and also membrane lipids such as phosphatidylcholine.
|