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A pheromone (from Ancient Greek φέρω (phérō) 'to bear' and hormone) is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavior of the receiving individuals. [ 1 ]
No study has led to the isolation of true human sex pheromones, although various researchers have investigated the possibility of their existence. [1] [2]Pheromones, in general, are secreted chemical substances by organisms that trigger a social reaction in the same species.
The first to be described chemically was bombykol, the silkworm moth's sex pheromone, which is a complex alcohol, (E,Z)-10,12-hexadecadienol, discovered in 1959. It is detected in the antennae of the male moth by a pheromone-binding protein which carries the bombykol to a receptor bound to the membrane of a nerve cell. [12]
A pheromone trap is a type of insect trap that uses pheromones to lure insects. Sex pheromones and aggregating pheromones are the most common types used.
In addition, pheromone cocktails often contain substances that act as behavioral inhibitors for other species, such as significantly reducing the rate of approach of males of alien species to an attracting female. [56] The pheromone cocktail is a highly effective means of inhibiting the behavior of males of other species.
Trail pheromone deposition from an organism is correlated with its environment. In the event where a food source is identified and a trail pheromone is deposited, certain wildlife may flock towards or away from the trail causing temporary or dispersal of the population or individual. With relocation of wildlife, surrounding plant life may ...