Human Pheromones - What Are They And How Do They Work?

Human pheromones are chemicals produced by the body that act as signals. Pheromones may be able to influence behavior in people. Scientists are still discovering the effects of pheromones in humans.

The origin of the term pheromone comes from the Greek words pheran, which means to transfer, and horman, meaning to excite. Pheromones in humans are produced by the body in special glands and are transferred out of the body in saliva and sweat.

History of human pheromones

It has been known for quite some time that animals and insects use pheromones in order to attract their mates, mark their territory and give off a scent that tells other animals and insects that there is danger lurking.

This is only too clear when we see a female dog that comes into heat and, as a result, every male dog in the neighborhood comes to her owner’s yard looking for her. The female dog emits the powerful pheromones into the air and the male dogs are attracted by the scent to the female dog and that is how nature ensures the survival of the species.

Insects are no exception. Silk moths, for instance, emit a powerful pheromone into the air that attracts male moths from miles away. Although pheromones are present in animals and insects, they are not noticeable to different species, for example, a human would not be able to recognize or react to the pheromones produced by a moth or a dog.

It is only recently that scientists have noted humans may also be sensitive to pheromones. The first report of the existence of human pheromones was in the 1970s when aliphatic acids called copulins were discovered in women and believed to stimulate the male sexual response. By the late 70s, it had been discovered that pheromones were present in both men and women in sweat and urine.

Humans pick up the scent of pheromones from a vomeronasal organ found in the nose. Until the 1980s, it was believed that humans no longer had a vomeronasal organ. Pheromones in humans and animals alike are completely odorless in small amounts.

Many studies have been done since then and the existence of pheromones in humans is still inconclusive. The reason for this is that humans have a will of their own and can control their biological responses. This makes it difficult to prove whether a chemical signal is behavior altering. What has been proven is that pheromones in humans do exist and can have an effect on those who want it to.

Pheromone Perfume