2. Introduction
• Pheromones are non-toxic chemical compounds produced and
released by an individual that affect the behaviour of the
individuals of its own species.
• Unlike hormones, that are released within an organism’s own
body, pheromones are secreted into the environment.
• Karlson and Luscher (1959) initially proposed the term
“Pheromone”.
4. Functions
• Triggering sexual arousal
• Creating food trails
• Alerting other individuals about a danger (predators, intruders,
disease, etc)
• Marking territory (keep out invaders)
• Warding off other members of the same species
• Recognition between mother and offspring
5. Applications
Pheromone trapping
Pheromones of certain pest insect species, such as
the Japanese beetle, acrobat ant and the gypsy moth, can be
used to trap the respective insect for monitoring purposes, to
control the population by creating confusion, to disrupt mating,
and to prevent further egg laying.
6. Applications (contd.)
Animal husbandry
Pheromones are used in the detection of oestrus in
sows. Boar pheromones are sprayed into the sty and
those sows that exhibit sexual arousal are known to be
currently available for breeding.
7. Conclusion
• Pheromones are used by many organisms, from basic
unicellular prokaryotes to complex multicellular eukaryotes.
• Their use among insects has been particularly well
documented. In addition, some vertebrates, plants and
ciliates communicate by using pheromones.
• The ecological functions and evolution of pheromones are a
major topic of research in the field of chemical ecology.
