Do you ever wonder why you enjoy some people's presence more then others or why some people always seem so attractive. Well, if so, you might be asking the wrong questions. A better question to ask would be, "What are pheromones and what affect do they have on us?".
In order to understand what pheromones are, we must first know the origin and meaning of their name. Pheromone originates from two Greek words. One of these is "pherin" which means to carry and the other is "hormon" which means to excite. The pheromone is a chemical substance that is secreted through the various openings, hair follicles, and bodily expenditures of numerous animals. The chemical carries an informational code patterned specifically for a certain species, which then causes a variety of responses based on what information was transmitted. Some of the vast varieties of examples are "territorial boundaries, power or position, and even sexuality.".
Pheromones are virtually undetectable. They have no scent, no color, and are nearly microscopic in size. The VNO, or Vomeronasal Organ, is the organ that we use to detect pheromones. You might say it is a nose of sorts, used to sniff out pheromones. The VNO is present in roughly 90% of today's humans. Located only 2 inches deep in the nasal canal, it is a tiny hole at the base of the septal wall. It can only function with the mouth open because it is not part of the olfactory system. The Human VNO is vastly different from that of other animals. It has been suggested that as and animal or organism develops, it becomes less dependent upon pheromones for communication. With this said, it becomes easier to understand why the human VNO is so underdeveloped. Mice have 11 active receptors in their VNO, while men and women alike have one, the V11R. This receptor was detected during the Human Genome Project.
Now you might be interested in knowing where pheromones are produced. Well, in the fetal stage, certain apocrine glands are distributed equally about the fetus.