If you're concerned with losing fat or gaining muscle, protein is the most important macronutrient to look at.
Without an adequate amount of protein your body will not have the building blocks it needs to gain muscle. That means you could spend hours in the gym, but if you're not feeding yourself what your body needs you are just wasting your time.
Building muscle is how you increase your metabolism, so even if you're not wanting to put on a bunch of muscle, everyone should be interested in building it even if you're trying to lose weight.
Protein also has a number of other roles in the body:
Enzyme Production: Catalyzes biochemical reactions.
Hormone Regulation: Helps regulate body functions, e.g., insulin.
Immune Function: Produces antibodies to fight infections.
Transport and Storage: Hemoglobin transports oxygen; ferritin stores iron.
Structural Support: Provides structure to cells and tissues, e.g., collagen in skin.
Energy Source: Can be used for energy if needed.
Lastly, protein is very filling so it helps to keep you satiated all day even if your calories are very low.
Now that you know how important protein is you should ask "Well how much do I need?"
The amount each person needs can vary, but a safe bet for building muscle, or losing fat is to aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of goal body weight.
Provided is a week long example of different protein sources daily and how much you would have to eat if your goal weight was 130 pounds.
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