Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are fatty acids that cannot be synthesized by the animal body in sufficient quantities and therefore must be supplied through the diet.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate the options:
1. Linolenic acid: Along with linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) is widely classified as a primary essential fatty acid for animals, as they lack the desaturase enzymes required to insert double bonds beyond the \(\Delta^9\) carbon.
2. Gallic acid: This is a trihydroxybenzoic acid, a type of organic phenolic acid found in plants, and is not a fatty acid.
3. Propionic acid: This is a short-chain volatile fatty acid produced by rumen microbes and is not an essential fatty acid.
4. Arachidonic acid: While arachidonic acid is essential for obligate carnivores (such as cats), most other animals can synthesize it from linoleic acid. Thus, linolenic acid is considered the primary and universally essential fatty acid.
Step 4: Final Answer
The correct option is (A).