The Science of Pheromones

When one thinks of pheromones, they typically associate it with bees or some kind of aroma that causes attraction. Several mammals and a vast majority of Insects emit different types of pheromones for a wide variety of functions. They can attract, alarm, lead (to a specific location), and pretty much cause members of the same species to behave in a certain way, so it's without a doubt that these strong chemicals are important within the different populations.

Would you be surprised if I told you that people (just like you and me) also secrete pheromones and (kind of) respond to them? The answer is...yes, we do! It's not to the same extent as dogs or bees but it still happens in an extremely weird way. Before I start talking about sweat and menstrual cycles though, a huge difference between humans and the organisms I previously mentioned, deals with the receptors of an organ known as VNO (vomeronasal organ). Apparently the VNO in humans is small and has no receptors while the complete opposite is true of insects and other mammals. Our olfactory mucosa instead, which is involved in smelling, contains receptors that resemble other species' pheromone receptors. Now that we've got that cleared, you're probably wondering what the smell of sweet sweat and menstrual cycles have to do with pheromones and our bodies' right? Well if you didn't already know, one of the best-documented effect of a human pheromone relates to the timing of women's menstrual cycles. Simply put, females who spend a large amount of time together end up having synchronized menstruation's, which reminds me of this funny CLIP from the movie No Strings Attached. On the other hand, sweat, from both sexes, can affect the opposite sex in different ways. For instance, when a female near her ovulation begins to sweat, the smell causes the secretion of male testosterone to decline. Conversely, when a male begins to sweat, the smell makes the cortisol levels increase in females, thus triggering an undesirable response towards the opposite sex. I guess those guys working at Axe Body and Shower products know exactly what they're doing.  

In a nutshell, even though the VNO and its receptors are vestigial, it seems as though pheromones are still working and causing changes in our behaviors whether we like it or not. 

I will leave you guys with this interesting LINK to a VIDEO/ARTICLE that talks about a dating event where individuals smell sweaty shirts of the opposite sex in hopes of finding the perfect match. Am I the only one who finds this strange?!