Do Humans Have Their Own Genetically Determined Body Odor?

Main Category: Genetics
Article Date: 06 Aug 2008 - 16:00 PDT

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Do human individuals have a genetically determined body odor? This question was now studied for the first time in detail.

Key body odorants were analyzed in monozygotic twins and the patterns of these odorants on the individuals were compared. There are certain day to day fluctuations, but the differences in the odorant pattern between twins are small as compared to unrelated individuals.

It was even possible to draw a pedigree based on these odorants, and this pedigree showed the close relationship of twin pairs.

Therefore humans have a genetically determined body odor which may be viewed as a 'chemical fingerprint' and which is now described for the first time.

Journal of the Royal Society Interface

Journal of the Royal Society Interface is the Society's cross-disciplinary publication promoting research at the interface between the physical and life sciences. It offers rapidity, visibility and high-quality peer review and is ranked fifth in JCR's multidisciplinary category. The journal also incorporates Interface Focus, a peer-reviewed, themed supplement, each issue of which concentrates on a specific cross-disciplinary subject.

Journal of the Royal Society Interface