Pheromones

Humans seem to be fascinated by the idea that unseen chemical signals termed pheromones might be subconsciously guiding their actions without their [Page 802]conscious awareness. Pheromones are chemical signals that are sent between members of the same species. They are often effective in eliciting responses at much lower concentrations than typically required for the perception of odors and can have dramatic effects on animal behavior. It has been estimated that a male silk moth needs to detect as few as eight molecules of the sexual attractant pheromone bom-bykol to elicit a full behavioral response, attracting the male to the receptive female that is producing it. It is unlikely that pheromones could be having such dramatic effects within the complexities of human social interactions. However, there ...