What type of bonds are present in a saturated hydrocarbon?

Saturated hydrocarbons are organic compounds that contain only single bonds between carbon atoms. This means that each carbon atom is bonded to as many hydrogen atoms as possible, fulfilling the tetrahedral geometry that carbon typically exhibits. The presence of only single bonds distinguishes saturated hydrocarbons from unsaturated hydrocarbons, which contain one or more double or triple bonds.

To further clarify, the term "saturated" specifically indicates that there are no additional hydrogen atoms that can be added to the structure without breaking existing bonds. Therefore, the defining characteristic of a saturated hydrocarbon is its complete absence of multiple bonds, making the presence of single bonds the only type of bonding in these molecules. This lack of double or triple bonds is what allows saturated hydrocarbons to be fully "saturated" with hydrogen.