The human body may carry a built-in alarm system for death — and it runs entirely through the nose. Research by scientists at the University of Kent and Arkansas Tech University suggests that humans subconsciously detect putrescine, the toxic compound released when a body begins to decompose, and instinctively react to it without ever knowing why.
In brief
- —Putrescine, released during decomposition, triggers subconscious human reactions
- —People move away from the odor without consciously recognizing it
- —Responses to putrescine are the opposite of reactions to sexual pheromones
Putrescine: the chemical your body recognizes without telling you
When the body begins to decompose after death, it releases putrescine — a foul, toxic compound that is a direct byproduct of biological breakdown. According to researchers Arnaud Wisman of the University of Kent’s School of Psychology in Canterbury, UK, and Ilan Shira of the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, humans are wired to pick up on this odor at a subconscious level.
