Chemical Communication

by William C. Agosta

Book Overview

This volume examines pheromones, the chemical signals that animals release to communicate with other members of their species. These substances orchestrate a wide variety of activities; they can attract mates, warn of danger, mark territories, lead to sources of food. The book ably conveys the variety and importance of pheromones from single-celled organisms to human beings. It demonstrates the universality of certain pheromonal structures, which...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0716750368
• ISBN13: 9780716750369
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Scientific American Library
• Length: 179 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.8" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Chemical Ecology: the sense God gave an ant

Chemical Ecology is a relatively new science that blends chemistry, biology and behavioral science in order to understand chemical interactions of things in nature. Agosta provides readers with a broad overview of chemistry in nature in a fascinating format that requires only interest in science to appreciate and only basic knowledge of chemistry and biology to understand. Like Agosta's recent book, Thieves, Decievers and Killers, this book strives to give a broad look at the world of chemical interaction. Unlike it, however, Chemical Communication offers a more technical approach utilizing many interesting diagrams, photos and drawings of chemical structures, while maintaining narrative like readability.

Pheromes - more than communication

Easy to read overview of pheromones, a variety of chemical molecules that help sperm cells find (ie, move in the direction of) egg cells, male animals find females and vice versa, as a signal for a male fish to deposit his sperm over recently released eggs, as an alarm signal for an entire group of animals, as a signal for a male hamster to mate with a female, as a territorial mark, etc, etc. This reference provides the general reader with some background in a variety of physiological and zoological areas. Although not fully explored, the existence of pheromone-guided actions, provides an effective mechanism for creatures, both ancient and modern, with limited nervous systems to exhibit a variety of complex behaviors.