12. What are pheremones?

A pheremone is a body secretion that provides a chemical form of communication between living beings. A crucial part of sex and reproduction in many insect and animal species (including rhesus monkeys), it is typically detected by the sense of smell, which, we’re learning, involves a lot more than just the nose.
The data on human pheremones is mixed. They are probably what make women who spend a lot of time together (such as in dormitories) begin menstruating on similar schedules. Some studies indicate that the smell of others’ sweat, vaginal secretions, and semen an affect our biological rhythms even without their owners’ actual presence.
As other studies on this subject are inclusive, the issue of the role of human pheromones is still considered controversial. Our body is, however, packed with odor-production glands. And the highly successful perfume industry is based on the obvious reality that certain smells that have no intrinsic meaning do attract and arouse us.
Pheremones, which we can neither see nor taste, may explain why some people who don’t even like each other can’t live without touching each other.