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The chemistry and semiology of human body odors

  • Chapter
The Psychological Basis of Perfumery

Abstract

Since the original writing of The Psychological Basis of Perfumery, new information has been generated about the chemical nature and semiochemical properties of human body odors. This has been made possible by dramatic improvements in chemical isolation and analysis techniques which have lowered the concentration levels at which odorous chemicals can be characterized. These techniques have been combined with innovative behavioral assays to test isolated fractions. In studies with mammals, semiochemicals have been shown to be responsible for both immediate behavioral responses (releaser pheromones) and longer-term physiological responses (primer pheromones).

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J. Stephan Jellinek

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© 1997 Chapman & Hall

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Labows, J.N. (1997). The chemistry and semiology of human body odors. In: Jellinek, J.S. (eds) The Psychological Basis of Perfumery. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1567-1_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1567-1_21

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

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