Fatty acid containing a single carboxyl group (COOH) and a straight unbranched carbon (C) chain with a single double bond.

A fatty acid that has one unsaturated carbon molecule.

A fatty acid that is missing one pair of hydrogen atoms in the middle of the molecule. The gap is called an "unsaturation." Monounsaturated fatty acids are found mostly in plant and sea foods. Olive oil and canola oil are high in monounsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acids tend to lower levels of LDL-cholesterol in the blood.

A fatty acid that lacks two hydrogen atoms and has one double bond between carbons-for example, oleic acid.

A fatty acid containing one less than the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms (i.e. having one point of unsaturation).

carries one less than all the hydrogen atoms it possibly could