Aliphatic monocarboxylic acids derived from or contained in esterified form in an
animal or vegetable fat, oil or wax. Natural fatty acids commonly have a chain of
4 to 28 carbons (usually unbranched and even-numbered), which may be saturated or
unsaturated. By extension, the term is sometimes used to embrace all acyclic aliphatic
carboxylic acids.
Source:
PAC, 1995, 67, 1307
(Glossary of class names of organic compounds and reactivity intermediates based on
structure (IUPAC Recommendations 1995))
on page 1335
See also:
White Book, p. 180