The secret codes of mammalian scents

The scents of mammals are complex blends of natural products that reveal a wealth of individual information. Many mammals can decipher these scent codes to discern the gender, age, endocrine status, social status, and genotype of conspecifics using dedicated sensory receptors in their olfactory system. Among these social odors are pheromones, chemicals that trigger innate behaviors and physiological responses. Here, we review classes of mammal-derived natural products that influence behavior through activation of the olfactory system. (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2010 2 23-33