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Pheromones

Pheromones are different sets of species-specific chemicals secreted by various organisms to transmit behavioral modifying messages to other members of the species. The use of pheromones seems to be most pervasive in insects, although some vertebrates also use them to a lesser degree. Pheromones often serve to communicate diverse sets of information including navigational, environmental, territorial, alarm, existence and location of food source, sexual interest, etc. The transmittal and reception of pheromones is, for the most part, functionally autonomic and does not seem to be induced by intentional decisions. The behavioral modification that results from pheromone reception is mechanistic.

The transmission of pheromones is usually performed by a species- specific gland. The reception of pheromone messaging is closely tied to the olfactory system of insects and the vomeronasal system in mammals.

Synthetic pheromones have been designed to either trap or disrupt the mating behavior of various destructive or intrusive insects species like termites. If properly disbursed, synthetic pheromones can make it virtually impossible for the male to locate females and the population quickly diminishes.

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