Pheromone

Pheromone
An agent secreted by an individual that produces a change in the sexual or social behavior of another individual of the same species; a volatile hormone that acts as a behavior-altering agent. The term "pheromone" is usually used for sexual attractants (such as bombesin in the moth Bombyx) but it applies to aggression-stimulating agents (such as isoamyl acetate in honey bees). Other pheromones act as signals for alarm and defense, territory and trail-marking, and social regulation and recognition. Pheromones are now being used in insect control, for example as bait to attract males to field traps or, in very high concentrations, to disorient insects and prevent mating. It is thought by some scientists that humans also put out pheromones. For example, women may at the time of ovulation secrete a subtle scent that attracts men. The word "pheromone" was created in 1959 from the ancient Greek "pherein" (to carry) + "-mone" (as in hormone).

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pher·o·mone 'fer-ə-.mōn n a chemical substance that is produced by an animal and serves esp. as a stimulus to other individuals of the same species for one or more behavioral responses called also ectohormone

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pher·o·mone (ferґə-mōn) a substance secreted to the outside of the body by an individual and perceived (as by smell) by a second individual of the same species, releasing a specific reaction of behavior in the percipient.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Pheromone — (altgriechisch: pherein „überbringen, übermitteln, erregen“ und hormon „bewegen“) sind Botenstoffe, die der biochemischen Kommunikation zwischen Lebewesen einer Spezies dienen. Der Begriff wurde von Peter Karlson, Martin Lüscher und Adolf… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • phéromone — [ ferɔmɔn; feromon ] n. f. • 1969; phérormone 1968; du gr. pherein « porter » et (hor)mone ♦ Biol. Sécrétion externe produite par un organisme, qui stimule une réponse physiologique ou comportementale chez un autre membre de la même espèce. ●… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Pheromone —   [Kurzbildung zu griechisch phérein »tragen« und Hormon], Singular Pheromon das, s, Ekto|hormone, von Tieren produzierte, leicht flüchtige Substanzen, die nach außen abgegeben, Stoffwechsel und Verhalten anderer Individuen der gleichen Art… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Pheromone — Phéromone Les phéromones sont des substances chimiques émises par la plupart des animaux et certains végétaux, et qui agissent comme des messagers entre les individus d une même espèce, transmettant aux autres organismes des informations qui… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Pheromone — Pheromone, chemisch uneinheitliche Gruppe von Botenstoffen, die der chemischen Kommunikation vorwiegend zwischen Individuen der gleichen Art dienen. Bei Pflanzen sind P. v.a. als ⇒ Gamone (Gametenlockstoffe) bekannt. Bei Tieren werden sie von… …   Deutsch wörterbuch der biologie

  • pheromone — substance released in minute amounts by an animal that causes a specific response when detected by another animal, 1959, coined (by Karlson & Lüscher) from Gk. pherein to carry (see INFER (Cf. infer)) + ending as in HORMONE (Cf. hormone) …   Etymology dictionary

  • pheromone — ► NOUN ▪ a chemical substance released by an animal and causing a response in others of its species. ORIGIN from Greek pherein convey + HORMONE(Cf. ↑hormone) …   English terms dictionary

  • pheromone — [fer′ə mōn΄] n. [< Gr pherein, to carry, BEAR1 + O + (HOR)MONE] any of various chemical substances, secreted externally by certain animals, that convey information to, and produce specific responses in, other individuals of the same species… …   English World dictionary

  • Pheromone — Fanning honeybee exposes Nasonov gland (white at tip of abdomen) releasing pheromone to entice swarm into an empty hive A pheromone (from Greek φ …   Wikipedia

  • Phéromone — Les phéromones sont des substances chimiques émises par la plupart des animaux, dont l homme, et certains végétaux, et qui agissent comme des messagers entre les individus d une même espèce, transmettant aux autres organismes des informations qui …   Wikipédia en Français

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