Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...

Chemical Signaling in the Endocrine System

Chemical Signaling in the Endocrine System

A signaling cascade is a series of events that facilitates the transmission of information within or between cells, culminating in a targeted response in the recipient cell. As chemical messengers, hormones are pivotal in initiating and modulating these intricate signaling cascades based on their solubility.
Lipid-soluble hormones, such as steroid hormones, demonstrate an intracellular action. These hormones traverse cell membranes due to their lipid nature. Once inside the target cell, they...

Yeast Signaling

Yeast Signaling

Yeasts are single-celled organisms, but unlike bacteria, they are eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus). Cell signaling in yeast is similar to signaling in other eukaryotic cells. A ligand, such as a protein or a small molecule released from a yeast cell, attaches to a receptor on the cell surface. The binding stimulates second-messenger kinases to activate or inactivate transcription factors that further regulate gene expression. Many of the yeast intracellular signaling cascades have similar...

Types of Signaling Molecules

Types of Signaling Molecules

In multicellular organisms, many molecules transmit signals between cells to pass information. These signals vary in complexity and include small peptides, nucleotides, steroids, fatty acid derivatives, and dissolved gases such as nitric oxide. Some signaling molecules diffuse through the plasma membrane to act locally between neighboring cells or travel long distances. Others remain attached to the cell surface, transmitting information to other cells only when they make contact. In some...

Secondary Messengers in Hormone Action

Secondary Messengers in Hormone Action

Water-soluble hormones cannot cross the plasma membrane, so they rely on protein receptors that span the membrane to trigger intracellular signaling pathways. These pathways then activate second messengers inside the cell, including cAMP or calcium ions.
Many hormones bind to transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors that connect to regulatory G proteins. These G proteins can then activate enzymes such as adenylyl cyclase or phospholipase C. Adenylyl cyclase converts ATP to cAMP, activating...

Internal Receptors

Internal Receptors

Many cellular signals are hydrophilic and therefore cannot pass through the plasma membrane. However, small or hydrophobic signaling molecules can cross the hydrophobic core of the plasma membrane and bind to internal, or intracellular, receptors that reside within the cell. Many mammalian steroid hormones use this mechanism of cell signaling, as does nitric oxide (NO) gas.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Vagal blood volume receptors compensate for haemorrhage and posture change.

Nature·2026

Same author

Vagal volume receptors in the heart compensate for blood loss and posture change.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Interoception 2025.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2025

Same author

Vagal TRPV1<sup>+</sup> sensory neurons protect against influenza virus infection by regulating lung myeloid cell dynamics.

Science immunology·2025

Same author

Sensory Neurons that Detect Stretch and Nutrients in the Digestive System.

Cell·2025

Same author

Brain-body physiology: Local, reflex, and central communication.

Cell·2024

Same journal

CaMKII in the Heart: From Homeostasis to Pathology.

Annual review of physiology·2026

Same journal

Cerebrospinal Fluid-Mediated Brain Clearance: Insights from Human Studies.

Annual review of physiology·2026

Same journal

The Physiological Challenge of Climate Change for Free-Living Terrestrial Mammals.

Annual review of physiology·2026

Same journal

Light Out of Sight: Signaling Mechanisms for Nonvisual Opsins.

Annual review of physiology·2025

Same journal

From Oil Spills to Air Pollution: The Emergence of Phenanthrene as a Ubiquitous Cardiac Toxicant.

Annual review of physiology·2025

Same journal

The Representation of Nociception and Pain in the Developing Brain.

Annual review of physiology·2025

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Volatile Sex Pheromone Extraction and Chemoattraction Assay in Caenorhabditis elegans

Volatile Sex Pheromone Extraction and Chemoattraction Assay in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: August 9, 2024

Mammalian pheromones.

Stephen D Liberles¹

¹Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115;

Annual Review of Physiology

|August 31, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Mammalian pheromones trigger innate social behaviors and regulate hormones via specific neural circuits. Understanding pheromone detection and signaling is key to decoding instinctive behaviors and their molecular basis.

More Related Videos

In-depth Physiological Analysis of Defined Cell Populations in Acute Tissue Slices of the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ

In-depth Physiological Analysis of Defined Cell Populations in Acute Tissue Slices of the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ

Published on: September 10, 2016

The Identification of Sea Lamprey Pheromones Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

The Identification of Sea Lamprey Pheromones Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

Published on: July 17, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Volatile Sex Pheromone Extraction and Chemoattraction Assay in Caenorhabditis elegans

Volatile Sex Pheromone Extraction and Chemoattraction Assay in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: August 9, 2024

In-depth Physiological Analysis of Defined Cell Populations in Acute Tissue Slices of the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ

In-depth Physiological Analysis of Defined Cell Populations in Acute Tissue Slices of the Mouse Vomeronasal Organ

Published on: September 10, 2016

The Identification of Sea Lamprey Pheromones Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

The Identification of Sea Lamprey Pheromones Using Bioassay-Guided Fractionation

Published on: July 17, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Animal Behavior
Olfactory System

Background:

Mammalian pheromones are crucial chemical signals governing social behaviors and endocrine functions.
Responses to pheromones are stereotyped, suggesting involvement of hardwired neural pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the mechanisms of pheromone transduction in mammals.
To explore the chemosensory receptors, neural circuits, chemical diversity, and molecular underpinnings of pheromone responses.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on mammalian pheromone detection and signaling.
Analysis of chemosensory receptors in the main olfactory epithelium and vomeronasal organ.
Examination of pheromone-activated neural circuits and their modulation.
Discussion of the chemical structures of mammalian pheromones.
Review of molecular mechanisms driving behavioral and endocrine outcomes.

Main Results:

Pheromone detection involves specialized receptors in the olfactory epithelium and vomeronasal organ.
Neural circuits processing pheromones exhibit sex-specific and state-dependent modulation.
Mammalian pheromones display significant chemical diversity, including small molecules, steroids, and proteins.
Pheromone transduction underlies diverse behaviors like reproduction, aggression, parental care, and social recognition.

Conclusions:

Understanding pheromone transduction pathways is fundamental to explaining how olfactory signals generate instinctive behaviors.
This knowledge provides a basis for further research into the neurobiology of social behaviors and hormone regulation.