Pheromones – Science Never Smelled So Sweet!
Our sense of smell is a highly important function of both the body and emotions. In fact, relating the association of different smells with an emotional reaction is not fiction—it is an actuality. This is because our olfactory receptors are directly connected to the limbic system, the most ancient and primitive part of the brain, considered to be the seat of emotion. The limbic system is a kind of mini brain that largely controls emotions and behavior and influences our feelings, from happiness to misery and love to hate. It is also crucial for learning and memory. The human limbic system shows little difference from that of primitive mammals; it is also where inherent responses required for survival as a species are thought to originate.
Scientists have discovered that there are two sets of receptor cells in the nose; the main set detects general odors. The other set is seen almost as a separate structure and is known as the vomeronasal organ, or the VNO. Although it was first discovered nearly three centuries ago, its function was not known until much more recently. In fact, it was considered a vestigal organ in humans; that is, it might have been important at one point in humankind’s evolution but is no longer functional. However, in the mid-1970’s it was learned that this theory was incorrect and the VNO was recognized as a sensory organ that produced pheromones in mammals, including humans. What scent evokes a pleasant memory for you?
