Pheromones are natural chemical scents the body produces in order to attract others. They are well documented in the animal kingdom as the force that controls all social behavior, including mating. Scientists are now finding that human behavior is also heavily influenced by these invisible social magnets.



A mystery chemical isolated from the sweat of young women seems to act as a romance booster for their older counterparts. When the researchers added the compound, Pheromone 10:13, to a perfume and gave it to older women, it made their partners more affectionate.

"In diaries kept by the women for 6 weeks, 41 percent of pheromone users reported more petting, kissing and affection with partners," New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.

Joan Friebely of Harvard University and Susan Rako, a doctor from Newton, Massachusetts, studied the behavior of 44 post-menopausal women. Half were given a perfume with the compound while the remainder used a fragrance with a placebo or dummy chemical.

Only 14 percent of women using the perfume with the placebo reported an increase in affection from their partners.

The study, also published in the Journal of Sex Behaviour, said 41% of pheromone users reported more kissing and affection from their partners, compared with 14% who had the dummy perfume.

The gene, named V1RL1, is the first to be reported in humans. The researchers believe it makes a protein that will detect pheromones. They suspect this 'pheromone receptor' is in the mucus membranes lining the human nose. More work is needed to discover what exactly this receptor might do and if it can influence human sexual behaviour.

A single female Bombay moth carries more than 1.5ug of pheromone at any one time. This is enough to lure 1 billion billion males at close range.

The silkworm moth can detect pheromones from other silkworms up to 11km away. The moths immediately fly towards the source.

Male moths detect pheromones through their antennae. A male fly detects pheromones through its front legs. Male pheromones stimulate neurohormonal system of female and inhibit secretion of prolactin. The level of progesterone decreases and blastocysts implantation fails. Abortion is followed by oestrus and next copulation can take place. This phenomenon allows females to select the best male and prevents inbreeding within a population.

Human pheromones are also proved to be in existence and commercially available in markets. The people who believe in the attracting appeal of Pheromones often experiment by mixing one with another to create a stronger effect on women. But different Pheromones make different impacts on the fairer sex. That is why knowing about the blending process of Pheromones and its results are imperative for men. But sometimes this kind of blending of pheromones can be bad for women and also men.

Pheromones are very powerful in very minute doses. Mixing up of two or three blends of pheromones is usually not suggested for the best results. Most of the commercial pheromones contain alcohols, some fatty acids and different perfumery fragrances which will induce sexual interest in individuals.