Lily of The Valley Phenomenon
See also: bourgeonalThe odor of lily of the valley, specifically the ligand bourgeonal, attracts mammal sperm in a dramatic manner. The 2003 discovery of this phenomenon prompted a new wave of research into odor reception, but no evidence was found that the female sex organ has similar odors of any kind. A 2012 study demonstrated instead that at high concentrations, bourgeonal imitated the role of progesterone in stimulating sperm to swim (chemotaxis), a process unrelated to odor reception.
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Famous quotes containing the words lily of the, lily, valley and/or phenomenon:
“I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.”
—Bible: Hebrew The Song of Solomon (l. II, 1)
“The lily in splendor, the vine in her grace,
The fox in the forest, all had their desire,
As then I had mine, in the place that was happy and poor.”
—Ruth Pitter (b. 1897)
“In a valley late bees with whining gold
Thread summer to the loose ends of sleep....”
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“What a phenomenon it has been—science fiction, space fiction—exploding out of nowhere, unexpectedly of course, as always happens when the human mind is being forced to expand; this time starwards, galaxy-wise, and who knows where next.”
—Doris Lessing (b. 1919)