Mitchell Stephen C, Smith Robert L
Computational and Systems Medicine, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
Chem Senses. 2016 May;41(4):275-9. doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjw001. Epub 2016 Jan 24.
One of the most widespread and efficient mechanisms that has evolved to enable communication between discrete and spatially separate living organisms is the use of specific chemical messengers. The organoleptic properties of certain molecules, even at concentrations that do not necessarily evoke a conscious response, have been exploited to transmit information across relatively large distances. The trimethylated derivative of ammonia is one such molecule that is ideally suited to this function and several species are known to respond to its presence. This review uniquely collects together and integrates widely dispersed data to show that trimethylamine also may serve a communicatory role in man, with its influence extending outside of the body.
为实现离散且空间上分离的生物之间的交流而进化出的最为广泛且高效的机制之一，是使用特定的化学信使。某些分子的感官特性，即便其浓度不一定会引发有意识的反应，也已被用于在相对较远的距离上传递信息。氨的三甲基化衍生物就是这样一种理想地适合此功能的分子，已知有几个物种会对其存在做出反应。这篇综述独特地收集并整合了广泛分散的数据，以表明三甲胺在人类中也可能起到交流作用，其影响可延伸至体外。
