Final answer:
Saturated fats are held together by carbon and hydrogen atoms, with each carbon atom bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible through single bonds. This results in straight chains that pack tightly, causing these fats to be solid at room temperature, with stearic acid being a typical example.
Step-by-step explanation:
The atoms that hold saturated fats together are primarily carbon and hydrogen atoms. In saturated fatty acids, each of the carbon atoms in the chain is bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible, which means there are only single bonds between neighboring carbon atoms. This maximal bonding with hydrogen characterizes the saturated nature of these fats.
Because each carbon atom is connected to other carbons with single bonds, the molecules of saturated fatty acids form straight chains. These straight-chained molecules can be packed together tightly, allowing them to crystallize and be solids at room temperature. Saturated fatty acids are found in many animal products such as meat and butter and are used by animals to store energy due to their compact structure.
Stearic acid is an example of a saturated fatty acid commonly found in animal fats and some vegetable oils. The lack of double bonds in their structure makes saturated fats solid at room temperature and commonly of animal origin.