Neuroscience: Amateur Hour

Episode 15: The Neuroscience of Pheromones


Listen Later

For the low, low price of $15.95 on Amazon, you can purchase a little spray bottle of pheromones that supposedly will trigger "animal attraction" in your partner. But is it true???

Pheromones are a well-known system of communicating territory, alarms, and sexual needs to other animals but is this system present in humans? We know that smell is an important component of sexual attraction and arousal but human beings seem to lack both the organ and brain region needed to process pheromone information. But maybe???

If you're curious, come and listen to learn a little bit more about what's happening upstairs!

Please rate, review, and subscribe and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, queries, or complaints, please email me at [email protected] or DM me at NeuroscienceAmateurHour on Instagram.

Citations below:

Jimenez J, Hughes K, Alaks G, Graham L, Lacy R. An experimental study of inbreeding depression in a natural habitat. Science. 1994;266(5183):271-273. doi:10.1126/science.7939661

Keverne EB. The Vomeronasal Organ. Science. 1999;286(5440):716-720. doi:10.1126/science.286.5440.716

Kang N, Baum MJ, Cherry JA. Different Profiles of Main and Accessory Olfactory Bulb Mitral/Tufted Cell Projections Revealed in Mice Using an Anterograde Tracer and a Whole-Mount, Flattened Cortex Preparation. Chemical Senses. 2010;36(3):251-260. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjq120

Wang L, Zhang Z, Chen J, et al. Cell-Type-Specific Whole-Brain Direct Inputs to the Anterior and Posterior Piriform Cortex. Frontiers in Neural Circuits. 2020;14. doi:10.3389/fncir.2020.00004

‌Wedekind, C., Seebeck, T., Bettens, F. and Paepke, A. J. MHC-dependent mate preferences in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B. 1995: 260: 245-249

Meredith M. Human Vomeronasal Organ Function: A Critical Review of Best and Worst Cases. Chemical Senses. 2001;26(4):433-445. doi:10.1093/chemse/26.4.433

D’Aniello B, Semin GR, Scandurra A, Pinelli C. The Vomeronasal Organ: A Neglected Organ. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy. 2017;11. doi:10.3389/fnana.2017.00070

Rodriguez I, Greer CA, Mok MY, Mombaerts P. A putative pheromone receptor gene expressed in human olfactory mucosa. Nature Genetics. 2000;26(1):18-19. doi:10.1038/79124

Verhaeghe J, Gheysen R, Enzlin P. Pheromones and their effect on women’s mood and sexuality. Facts, Views & Vision in ObGyn. 2013;5(3):189-195. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3987372/

Miller SL, Maner JK. Scent of a Woman. Psychological Science. 2009;21(2):276-283. doi:10.1177/0956797609357733



Support the show

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Neuroscience: Amateur HourBy Neuroscience: Amateur Hour

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

47 ratings


More shows like Neuroscience: Amateur Hour

View all
Speaking of Psychology by American Psychological Association

Speaking of Psychology

70 Listeners

The Psychology Podcast by iHeartPodcasts

The Psychology Podcast

1,873 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,230 Listeners

10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

10% Happier with Dan Harris

12,548 Listeners

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson by Rick Hanson, Ph.D., Forrest Hanson

Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

2,409 Listeners

Therapist Uncensored Podcast by Sue Marriott LCSW, CGP & Ann Kelley PhD

Therapist Uncensored Podcast

1,377 Listeners

Something You Should Know by Mike Carruthers | OmniCast Media

Something You Should Know

4,247 Listeners

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel by Esther Perel Global Media

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

14,803 Listeners

Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast by David Puder, M.D.

Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast

1,308 Listeners

Navigating Neuropsychology by John Bellone & Ryan Van Patten - NavNeuro

Navigating Neuropsychology

340 Listeners

People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast by Zachary Elwood

People Who Read People: A Behavior and Psychology Podcast

230 Listeners

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos by Pushkin Industries

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

14,540 Listeners

Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

Huberman Lab

28,293 Listeners

Psychology Unplugged by Dr. Corey J. Nigro

Psychology Unplugged

681 Listeners

Neuroscience of Everything by Dr Nand Muley, Ph.D.

Neuroscience of Everything

0 Listeners