Began to smell bodies - a temptation source?

Passed more than 50 years since the term "pheromones" was introduced into circulation, but still scientists did not come to an unambiguous conclusion whether the subconscious inclination awakens a natural smell of a body in surrounding people. The word "pheromone" comes from Greek "pherein" ("to transfer") and ("to excite") "hormon" and can be translated as "the carrier of excitement".

It is well known that insects and animals "answer" the chemical "marks" left by their tribespeople. They even have for this purpose a special body. As for the person, scientists struggle for a long time with a task to find at least one component which would have such strong physiological effect on people. "We can find the real human pheromones never, - professor Tim of Jacobs from School of Biosciences of the Kardifsky University says. - But if you ask me whether there are chemical signals which can affect our behavior, then I will answer that, of course, exist. But it is necessary to remember that they are connected far not only with sex".

For example, a key argument for existence of human pheromones is old "fairy tale" that at women who live together or menstrual cycles communicate closely, synchronized. For the first time such assumption was made in the 1970th by Marta Makklinok from Harvard University. In the late nineties she found several proofs of this hypothesis, but it did not manage to define what substance renders such effect. "It is very probable - and can find good practical application, - doctor Tristram Vyatt, the zoologist from the University of Oxford says. - If we learn to influence thus women's hormones and, thereby, a menstrual cycle that, eventually, it will lead to creation of an effective and safe contraceptive".

Besides, there are also several proofs to what began to smell fear which is radiated by animals at the moment of danger, has a human equivalent. The New York scientists investigated answers of a brain of volunteers to which they gave to smell small pillows with a smell of sweat of two groups of people: the first 40 small pillows contained sweat of people who were going to make the first in the life parachute jump, and the second group of people was not exposed to any stress. Sweat of "parachutists" created signals which the brain of volunteers associated with fear though, of course, it is impossible to tell with full confidence that these people were frightened. This opening makes quite ominous impression, especially considering that it was financed by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Returning to more harmless subjects: one of researches shows that some substances from men's sweat can have the calming effect on women. "If we begin to understand how our brain answers the substances emitted by a human body, then we will be able, at least potentially, effectively to treat certain diseases", - Ivanka Savik, the neurobiologist from Institute of Karolinsk in Stockholm says. For example, schizophrenia - one of states which will become much better to respond to treatment if we understands action of human pheromones. Attribute them almost supernatural opportunities for influence on mood of the person that can be result of reaction of a brain to signals of specific substances. Pheromones will also be able to shed light on autism which affects ability to perceive human emotions.

However, most of people are interested in pheromones as sources of awakening of sexual desire or even love.

In one of researches it is claimed that began to smell, radiated by the feeding women, increases sexual inclination at their girlfriends. It can be a consequence of the fact that in the childhood of the world it was favorable to women to bring forth offspring approximately at the same time.

Other research is concentrated on two substances: one is called androstadinon (contains in men's sweat), another - estratetranol (it is revealed in women's urine). Despite the fact that this research was not completed because of the arisen conflict of interests, scientists managed to come to a conclusion that androstadion can send signals to a female brain. However, remained to unknown whether the behavior or mood of the woman changes from it.

There is an assumption that our primogenitors found color sight 25 million years ago when the role of pheromones as a way of definition of the partner considerably decreased. But began to smell, without doubts, continues to play the role. There are indisputable proofs that each of us makes an individual, unique smell on the basis of which potential partners solve whether we suit them genetically or not. "As soon as there was a contact between people, chemical signals recede on a background, - professor of Jacobs assumes. - Subsequently it can lead to a distance of partners improper genetically from each other. Unfortunately, all this leaves very few place for romanticism!"

On materials of BBC