The Science of Scent

In 1995 Swiss zoologist Claus Wedekind conducted an experiment to determine if women were more attracted to men with a specific scent. Wedekind's study was based on the theory that we usually smell best to a person whose genetically based immunity to disease differs most from our own. The genes that determine our immunity are called major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. MHC genes produce chemicals that help the body detect and destroy foreign cells. If two people with dissimilar MHC gene profiles mate, there is a greater possibility of producing stronger, healthier offspring. Wedekind instructed 44 men to wear the same t-shirt for two nights in a row. The men were also given odorless soap and aftershave lotion that would not disguise their natural odor. Wedekind then put the t-shirts in plain boxes and asked 49 women to sniff the shirts and record their reactions. Women preferred the scent of t-shirts that were worn by men with a dissimilar MHC.

Another experiment, conducted in 1998 by Dr. Winifred Cutler, tested whether a compound considered to be a human male pheromone increased sexual behavior in men. Seventy-four percent of the men who wore the pheromone reported an increase in hugging, kissing and sexual intercourse. Researchers are also trying to determine if pheromones may be used someday as fertility treatments, antidepressants and dieting aids.

So what does all of this mean? Well, if pheromones do rule our love lives, it means that we may be attracted to Mr. Right's chemistry—not his anatomy. Though his chiselled abs may get your attention at the gym, his smell may ultimately get you to the altar.

Erin is a graduate student in science and technology journalism at Texas A & M University.

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