in this study, an fMRI was used to observe the physiological reactions to two suspected pheromones – human smells – one from women, the other from men. heterosexual men and women reacted completely differently to the two smells: the smell of women activated the hypothalamus in men, but the smell of men activated only the smell -related part of the brain. the smell of men activated the hypothalamus of women, and the smell of women only their smell brain. the study gets interesting when the gay control group is included: gay men respond physiologically the same way as women (to men’s smell), even more strange the data for gay women was too complicated and not yet ready for publication. this means little, except that our bodies respond differently according to sexuality, although we don’t know if it is learned or innate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/10/science/10smell.html?ex=1139979600&en=573b687a4def2f4a&ei=5070
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