Definition
Pheromones were originally defined in relation to insects as “substances secreted to the outside of an individual and received by a second individual of the same species in which they release a specific reaction, for example, a definite behavior or developmental process.” This led to the distinction between two categories of pheromonal effect: releaser pheromones that elicit immediate and relatively stereotyped behavioral responses, such as sexual attraction; and primer pheromones that elicit a longer-term change in hormonal or developmental state, such as acceleration of puberty. Many in the field now regard the original definition as over-restrictive and would expand the term to include signaler pheromones that convey information such as individual identity, and modulator pheromones that have an effect on mood or emotion.
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© 2009 Springer-Verlag GmbH Berlin Heidelberg
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(2009). Pheromone. In: Binder, M.D., Hirokawa, N., Windhorst, U. (eds) Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_4550
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29678-2_4550
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