Body odor does not change throughout life

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Each of us has a characteristic smell, like every finger has its own fingerprint, and it doesn't change even when we switch to another diet.

Scientists know that mammals, such as mice, squirrels, deer and even humans, have a characteristic body odor specified in the gene. Body odor helps them recognize an individual in the crowd, even in finding a partner.

Body odor is determined in part by genes that play an important role in the immune system and are found in most vertebrates.

Odor information is transmitted throughout the body through fluids such as urine and sweat. These liquids contain many volatile organic compounds capable of releasing odor. People who used to exercise in a small, closed room could sense the existence of volatile organic compounds.

Animal and human food can affect body odor. Garlic is the best example.

Scientists at the Monell Sensory Research Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, want to find out if changing foods and diets changes the characteristic odor of an animal's body. .

The team conducted experiments on mice. They locked them in many cages, each with 2-4 children for a long time to make friends and then catch each cage one to form a group. They are trained to find you by the nose when ordered. The remaining ones are divided into several pairs. Researchers analyzed urine of rats to identify volatile organic compounds.

After that, experts for the trained team differentiate to find friends in the second group. Every time after that they change the food of the mouse and repeat the experiment. The results show that rats always identify their true friends even though the body odor is pretty much changed by food. The results of urine analysis show that the amount and concentration of volatile organic compounds in the urine has not changed.

'This finding is consistent with the assumption that body odor is immutable, like fingerprints or DNA samples. It shows that odor is one of the most reliable tools to identify individuals. If this is proven on the human body, we can make devices that help detect individuals based on their smell, 'said Gary Beauchamp, a behavioral biologist at Monell Center. .

Gary added that similar measures have been used to diagnose diseases based on taste differences. The new finding could pave the way for the development of electronic sensors that help detect and diagnose skin cancer, lung cancer and some viral diseases quickly.