Palmitic acid, or
hexadecanoic acid in
IUPAC nomenclature, is the most common
fatty acid (saturated) found in animals, plants and microorganisms. Its
chemical formula is CH
3(CH
2)
14COOH. As its name indicates, it is a major component of the oil from
palm trees (
palm oil), but can also be found in meats, cheeses, butter, and dairy products.
Palmitate is a term for the
salts and
esters of palmitic acid. The palmitate anion is the observed form of palmitic acid at physiologic pH (7.4).