Human Body Odors and Their Perception (総説特集1:体臭)

概要

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Humans possess the apparatus to produce complex chemical signals that may include pheromones. Sources include scalp and hair, axillary region, genitals, chest and/or breast, feet, and skin in general. Pheromones can have various effects, which are categorized as primer, releaser, signaler and modulator pheromones. Humans appear to respond to primer pheromones. Although sought-after, no human sex-attractant(releaser)pheromone has yet been identified. Signaler pheromones also may be active; human odors may provide information about an individual's underlying immune status. Modulator pheromones are the newest category, which take into account the complexity of human sociality; these pheromones rely in part upon context for their effect. Humans also have a well-developed olfactory system that is capable of responding to thousands of odorants. Non-human mammals also rely upon their vomeronasal organ(VNO)for detecting some, but not all, pheromones. The evidence for a functional VNO in humans is reviewed; the consensus of current literature strongly suggests that humans do not possess a working VNO of the type found in other mammals. This does not eliminate the possibility that human behavior and physiology is modified by pheromones-many animals that rely upon pheromonal communication do not have a VNO.