General Chemical Messengers
Pheromone means to "transport" and "stimulate." Pheromones are chemical messengers that move from one organism's body to a receptor on another organism's body. These chemical messengers can be found in the urine of some animals, including dogs. Messenger pheromones can also travel through the air for up to a couple of miles. Each species is adapted to a method of transporting hormones for means of communicating and mating. It is still unclear as to whether or not humans use pheromones to communicate.
Releaser and Sex Pheromones
The releaser pheromones work to attract mates from up to a distance of two miles away (with the exception of butterflies and moths, which can detect pheromones from up to 6 miles away). The receptiveness of these pheromones by other animals is quick. However, releaser pheromones are not permanent. After releaser pheromones are transported through the air, the effect will last only for a short while. The effect of the pheromones is powerful in many animal species. Animals, including insects, use pheromones to procure a mate. The hormone may be in the form of a chemical transmission through the air. Another medium of pheromone transmission is water. Some animals release a chemical message through the water to let other members of the same species know it is time to mate. In the case of humans, the presence of pheromones has not been proven by any peer based study. Companies, however, do claim to have included human pheromones in their colognes and perfumes. This has yet to be proven true.
Alarm Pheromones
Plants emit alarm pheromones. When one plant is being devoured it releases alarm pheromones. This chemical is picked up by the receptors in nearby plants. The nearby plants then respond by producing a chemical (polyphenols) that makes them dry and bitter to animals.
Food and Pheromones
For insects such as ants, a trail pheromone is released as they leave their hive or nest. The pheromones convey a message to other insects of the same hive or nest. When other insects pick up on the sent of the pheromones they will follow the trail. Ants use this method of releasing trail pheromones for helping their colony find food. When food diminishes, the ants release a repellent scent that tells the colony to ignore the trail.
Tags: hive nest, miles away, nearby plants, organism body, other insects, releaser pheromones