Pheromones are a way of communicating that many people are not aware of. They are chemicals that are produced by the body that allow communication between two people through the sense of smell. You can not control your pheromones, though. They are all natural and there are different types that send different messages.



This article about "pheromones," has been designed to be as relevant and informative as possible. However, if you are still hungry for more information, see the search tips at the end of the article.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the topic:

"A pheromone is a chemical that triggers an innate behavioural response in another member of the same species. There are alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology. Their use among insects has been particularly well documented, although many vertebrates and plants also communicate using pheromones."

Types of Pheromones

Territorial is the name for the type that mark a living things territory. This is probably most recognized in dogs.

Aggregation is the name for the type that attracts other humans.

Trail is the name for a type mainly used by insects to set a path for others to follow.

Sex is the name for the best known type and they signal attraction and in some species breeding.

Alarm is the name for the type that is released and trigger a sense to run or a sense to fight. These are often referred to as fight or flight pheromones.

There are other types of pheromones, but these are the best known and most studied.

A Little More About Pheromones

Every living thing has pheromones. For animals and insects, pheromones are a major method of communication. In humans pheromones give off silent messages that are picked up by others naturally. Neither you or the person you are with will likely even know pheromones are at work.

Pheromones are something that has been controversial. Some people do not believe they exist, while science has been working on proving they do. They are something that we take for granted because they work almost silently to do their jobs.

The belief that they do not exist is usually based upon the fact that it is hard to distinguish how they work. They are a natural smell, but some people wonder if body language is what it causing the interaction between living things and not rely pheromones.

There has even been a market for synthetic versions that say they will help attract a mate. Perfumes and colognes are often said to contain these synthetic chemicals to help improve the sales of the product. People love the idea of being able to buy something that will make them attractive.

The whole idea behind pheromones is not simply about sexual attraction. These chemicals are very important, especially to animals and insects. They help keep them alive. In humans they are basically something that really has no effect except in certain cases, like fear or attraction.

If you found this article helpful, but are looking for more, here are some handy search tips:

1) The Library - don't forget books, they are packed full of information

2) Catalogs - There are thousands of catalogs on every topic imaginable

3) Local stores - depending on the store, educated employees can be a great resource