pheromone: an odorous substance or smell secreted by an organism that acts as a chemical messenger between members of the same or different species and serves as a foe repellent, territorial boundary or path marker, social heriarchy position indicator, child-parent bonding agent, or sexual lover/lover mate attractant. Pheromones may also regulate the reproductive ecology within a given species; an odoriferous substance that acts as a chemical messenger between individuals. By contrast, a hormone acts as a chemical messenger within the bloodstream of a single individual. In mammals, pheromones serve as foe repellents, boundary markers, child-parent attractants, and sex [lover-lover] attractants.
See also hormone.
Dictionary of Sexology Project: Main Index