Abstract
The most important property of a compound used as a chemical signal is an appropriate volatility. This limits its upper molecular weight to ~ 300 and the effective lower molecular weight appears to be ~ 50 (Wilson, 1963; Wilson et al., 1969). Many different functional groups have been observed in pheromones and defensive materials from nonpolar molecules such as alkanes and alkenes to very polar compounds which may be acidic (acids, phenols) or basic (amines) (Weatherston, 1967; Law and Regnier, 1971).
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Wheeler, J.W. (1977). Properties of Compounds Used as Chemical Signals. In: Müller-Schwarze, D., Mozell, M.M. (eds) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2364-8_5
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