The discovery of pheromones in 1959 led to several developments in the areas of relationships and behaviors. Pheromones were originally associated with the chemical substances that animals usually excrete to send a message to their own species. Further research on the topic widened the definition of the word pheromones to include other species such as human beings. In fact, pheromones in humans became one of the favorite subjects of researchers all over the world.
Technically, pheromones in humans are linked to the reproductive process and the attraction between men and women. According to studies, the effects of pheromones in humans can be largely detected in the relationship between the mother and child. Studies have shown that infants usually display instinctive attachments to their mothers through the smell, texture, and sounds that can be associated with the mother especially when she is nursing.
Like in the case of animals and insects where the young often pick up messages through the pheromones left by their mothers, infants display distinctive characteristics of recognition. Such recognition led scientists to believe that pheromones in humans also function much like the pheromones in other species although in a less pronounced manner.
Aside from the studies conducted on the relationships between mother and child, there have been studies conducted regarding the effects of pheromones in humans when it comes to attracting the opposite sex. Although there has been much criticism regarding this matter and how it was not acceptable to some people that attraction between a male and female human being could be reduced to a simple interplay between the pheromones in humans, several scientists have made some discoveries in this area.
According to some studies, pheromones in humans play a big role when it comes to facilitating attraction. In most instances, the effect of pheromones in humans is termed as the X factor that makes some people more appealing to certain groups of people. Scientists believe that like the insects which send out genetic coding when they excrete pheromones to attract their mate, pheromones in humans may also contain some kind of genetic coding which may be easier to decipher by certain types of people.
Do pheromones in humans really work like the pheromones in insects and animals? A number of scientists would like to believe that they do. However, there are also many who vigorously object to such a conclusion because if we equate pheromones in human beings with that of other species, this could mean that like animals, humans could be made to falsely respond to certain synthetic forms of pheromones.