BLOA flashcards - Pheromones and mating behavior/agression

A pheromone is…

a chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal affecting the behavior or physiology of others of its own species.

Primer pheromones

cause slow, long-term physiological changes, such as hormonal effects

signaling pheromones

produce rapid behavioral effects, such as mating

Two potential human pheromones are…

Androstadienone (AND) – found in male semen and sweat – and Estratetraenol (EST), which is found in female urine.

Zhou

In the experiment, participants were asked to watch stick figures walking on a screen and to determine their gender.

Bioassay,

a repeatable experiment

Pheromones seem to be detected by…

a structure called the vomeronasal organ,

Surgical removal of the VNO eliminates…

territorial aggression and territorial marking in male mice and male hamsters.

What is VNO?

A tube at the base of the nasal cavity directly behind the nostrils that is filled with sensory neurons. It is found in most amphibians, reptiles, and nonprimate mammals, but is absent in birds and most primates.