A pheromone

h .
is 8 h • 1 . . .
c emica that an ammal produces which changes the behavior of
anot er ammal of the same species.

Some describe _pheromones as behavior-altering agents. Many people do not know that
pheromones tngger other behaviors in the animal of the same species apart from sexual
behavior. '

!! rmon_es usually work internally, and they only have a direct effect on the individual that
0
IS secreting them.

Pheromones, unlike most other hormones, are ectohormonesTmsted Source. They are
secreted outside the body, and they influence the behavior of another individual.

fasts facts about pheromones

• Pb~romopes are similar to J1.orm:ones but w~ork outside of the body.

• . They induce'.~ctivity in other indi~du;ls, such
','- ., .. ·- .-; .
as_s~x~al arousai.
:

• Mosfin;ttts u~e pheromones ~o comm'unicat~.

• Some chemi~;ls,h~ve_been inv~stig~ted for :~li~romone actions in humans but
. •., I·, ,,. ,

evidence_is weak. ., · ·
• Many pheromone produ~ts ~an be purchased online, but research sugg~ts that ,
· these are ineffective.'
There are.four types of pheromone: releaser, primer, signaler and modulator. ·
•
Animals secrete pheromones to ~rigger many types of behaviors, including:

• raising an alarm
• signaling a food trail
• triggering sexual arousal
• tell other female insects to lay their eggs elsewhere
• delineating a territory
• bond between mother and offspring
• warning another animal to back off

bombykol, was identified in 1959. Bombykol is

It is believed that the first phe~omo~e, d t ttract males. The pheromone signal can travel
secreted by female moths and IS des1gne o_ a
. tances even at low concentrations.
enormous dlS '
Experts say that the pheromone system of msects
. . much easier to understand than that of
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mamma1s, which do not have simple stereotyped insect behavior.

It is believed that mammals detect pheromones through an organ in the nose called the
vo~eronasal organ (VNO), or Jacobson's organ. This connects to the hypothalamus in the
bram.

The VNO_ in humans consists of just pits that probably do not do anything. Interestingly
the VNO is clearly present in the fetus but atrophies before birth. If humans do respond to
hormones, most likely they use their normal olfactory system.

Pheromones are commonly used in insect control They can be used as bait to attract males
into a trap, prevent them from mating, or to disorient them.

In humans--Gustav Jager (1832-1917), a German doctor and hygienist is thought to be

first scientist to put forward the idea of human pheromones, which be called antbropines.

Jager said that they were lipopbilic compounds associated with skin and follicles that mark
the individual signature of human odors. Lipopbilic compounds are those that tend to
combine with, or are capable of dissolving in lipids, or fats.

Researchers at the University of Chicago claimed that they managed to link the
synchronization of women's menstrual cycles to unconscious odor cues. The bead
researcher was called Martha McClintock, and the phenomenon was called "the
McClintock effect."

When exposing a group of women to a scent of sweat from other women, their menstrual
cycles either accelerated or slowed down, depending on whether the sweat was collected
before, during, or after ovulation.

The scientists said that the pheromone collected before ovulation shortened the ovarian
cycle, while the pheromone collected during ovulation lengthened it.

Types

There are four main types Source of pheromones:

Releaser pheromones: These elicit an immediate ~esponse, and the response is rapid and
reliable. They are usually linked to sexual attraction.
Primer pheromones·• These ta~e longer to get a response. They can, for example, influence
the development
females puberty Or ~producbon phl(siology, including menstrual cycles in
other b~ings ' an the success or failure of pregnancy. They can alter hormone levels in
and were · 1n i:;ime mammals, scientists found that females who bad become pregnant
fetus. expose to primer pheromones from another male could spontaneously abort the

~ignaler pheromones: These provide information. They may help the mother to recognize
er n~wbom by scent. Fathers cannot usually do this. Signaler pheromones give out our
genetic odor print.

Modulator pheromones: They can either alter or synchronize bodily functions. They are
usually found in sweat. In animal experiments, scientists found that when placed on the
upper lip of females, they became less tense and more relaxed. Modulator hormones may
also affect a female's monthly cycle.

Pheromones
Pheromones are chemical substances that are created and emitted by organisms as odorants-
often as oils or sweat-into the environment that may influence the behavior or physiology of
other members of their species. This is particularly the case for mammals or insects.
Pheromones may be immediate acting, slower acting or signalers. They include pheromones that
are designated aggregation, alarm, epideictic, food, primal, releaser, sex, signal, territorial, trails
and others (such as calming and necromones). In mammals, primer and releaser pheromones
may predominate. •
Aggregation Pheromones are involved in defense, mate selection and overcoming host
resistance. They are generally used for pest suppression and may be ecologically
selective, effective and nontoxic.
•
Alarm Pheromones may be released when predators attack, and they may trigger
aggression or flight in animals and insects. In plants, alarm pheromones may result in
tannin production by surrounding plants that decreases palatability if these plants are
consumed. •
Epideictic Pheromones largely mark the spots where female insects lay their eggs.
•
Food Pheromones tend to be linked to trail pheromones; they are connected to
organisms that use volatile hydrocarbons that guide their activities toward nesting for
survival. •
Primal Pheromones help to trigger changes in developmental events. They tend to differ
from other pheromones that primarily trigger behavioral changes .
•
Releaser Pheromones principally cause rapid responses in recipient behavior that are
promptly reduced as opposed to primer pheromones.
 •
Pheromones signify when females are approachable for breeding, or they serve to
m<licate the species and genotype of males. Females produce most sex pheromones. ~ex
pheromones may also be involved in aggregation pheromone activities. Male-producmg
sex attractants may also be referred to as aggregation pheromones .
•
Signal Pheromones serve to create brief changes, including neurotransmitter release .
•
Territorial Pheromones basically mark boundaries and territorial identities. These
pheromones include those that are in the urine of cats and dogs .
•
Trail Pheromones Food Pheromones).
•
Other Pheromones such as calming pheromones for appeasement and necromones that
are indication of decomposition or death [33].
There have been some demonstrable reports in humans that exposure to body odors may elicit
responses by other humans, but with few consistent and strong behavioral responses. Rather,
chemical messengers may function as modulating pheromones that may affect mood or mental
states. A person's "odo:rprint" may also be responsible for attraction, such as between a nursing
human infant and its mother. This type of odo:rprint may be affected by such factors as diet, the
environment, genetics and/or health [34].
How do pheromones fit into the aging profile, if at all? Research has demonstrated that aging
affects sexual appeal. Pheromones produced at different ages appear to change with age and
affect sexual attractiveness differently. Certain hydrocarbon production may indicate fertility and
health, which may wane with age. Throughout reproductive years, genes are transmitted that
ensure continuity among generations. Pheromones attract desired members of species for this
purpose; however, these chemicals appear to fade with age [35].
This may be one of the reasons why some people who are aging rely on perfumes with marketed
pheromone effects-particularly at a period of time when their sense of smell may be decreasing.
It may also be an effort to mask "old people smell," the characteristic odor of elderly people that
might be linked to the way that animals recognize who is young or old, or who is sick or dying.
With age there is a change in human body odor, as determined by various skin gland activities,
and how substances that are emitted from these glands intermingle with bacteria. When
sebaceous glands secrete sebum, a waxy substance to lubricate and waterproof the
skin, apocrine sweat glands discharge perspiration and eccrine sweat glands emit a clear,
odorless but salty-tasting liquid. These substances along with their lipids and steroids combine
and create body odor.
This "old people smell" may not as intensive or offensive as the smell of younger or middle-aged
men when sweating may be at its peak in relation to musculature, but it still may be distinctive to
this age group. Some postulation is that it is the result of a higher level of2-nonenal in the sweat
and on the skin of older people, but this compound has also been connected with the scents of
aged beer and cucumbers-two familiar and often appreciated smells. Staying clean and well
hydrated, with diets devoid of alcohol, cigarettes and spicy foods may also be preventive .