ISBN: 978-93-94174-56-6

Pheromones: The Chemical Signalling System in Animals. A Review

Assistant Professor, Department of Zoology, MHCM Science College, Algapur, Hailakandi, India

Pheromones are chemical substances secreted by an individual and detected by another individual of the same species, eliciting specific behavioral, physiological, or neuroendocrine responses. Although pheromonal communication is well established in animals, its existence and functional significance in humans remain an area of ongoing scientific investigation. This chapter explores the role of pheromones in human sexuality, emotional behavior, and mate selection, with particular emphasis on steroid-derived compounds such as androstadienone, androstenone, androstenol, and estratetraenol. The discussion highlights how olfactory stimuli influence mood, attention, attraction, and sexual response in humans, especially among women. The chapter further examines the relationship between sensory perception and sexuality, emphasizing the contribution of tactile, visual, auditory, and olfactory cues in human sexual behavior. Special attention is given to axillary sweat as a major source of putative human pheromones and to the biological mechanisms involved in pheromone detection through the olfactory system and the vomeronasal organ (VNO). In addition, the chapter discusses the classification of pheromones into releaser, signaler, modulator, and primer types, and their potential effects on reproductive physiology, emotional states, and social interaction. Evidence relating pheromones to mate selection, particularly through human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-associated preferences, is also examined. Although several experimental findings indicate that compounds such as androstadienone may positively influence women’s mood, focus, and sexual arousal, the chapter concludes that further interdisciplinary research is necessary to establish definitive scientific evidence regarding human pheromonal communication and its practical implications in human behavior and reproductive biology.

*Corresponding author; e-mail: ujjwalb76@gmail.com

Cite this Chapter: Ujjwal Barbhuiya. 2026. Pheromones: The Chemical Signalling System in Animals. A Review. In: Dr. Shamim Ahmed Shamim Khan Barbhuiya. Dr. Saurabh Sarma. Dr. Kowser Alam Laskar. Dr. Atiqur Rahman Laskar. Dr. Gulenoor Islam Barbhuiya (Eds.), ANUSANDHAN-A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Research Repository. Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 194-202. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-56-6_21