Bile salts—sea lampreys' newest scent of seduction
Monday, October 7, 2013 - 10:30
in Biology & Nature
Bile salts scream seduction – for sea lampreys, that is. New research at Michigan State University shows that bile salts, secreted from the liver and traditionally associated with digestive functions, are being used as pheromones by sea lampreys. The interesting twist, though, is that this scent has evolved as the invasive species' cologne of choice.