Different people have different sweat smell ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Marie Cury
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Smell
AI Thread Summary
Different individuals do indeed have distinct sweat odors, primarily due to variations in personal biochemistry. The smell associated with sweat is not from the sweat itself, which is mostly composed of water and electrolytes, but rather from the bacteria that thrive on the oily substances released by sweat glands in areas like the armpits and groin. These bacteria break down the sweat components, leading to the characteristic odors. Regular perspiration is generally odorless, but the presence of certain microorganisms can significantly alter the scent. Further insights from biologists may provide additional clarification on this topic.
Marie Cury
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Is it true that different people have different sweat smell ? If so why ?


Thank you
 
Biology news on Phys.org


Everyone's personal biochemistry is different. The odour doesn't come from the sweat itself, but from the microorganisms that live in it. What you smell is essentially bacteria ****. Regular perspiration doesn't have that problem, since it's fairly pure water with electrolytes, salts, etc.. Sweat glands in the armpits, groin, and nipples, however, also release an oily substance that bacteria love to nibble on. I'm afraid that I can't remember any specifics right now, but Moonbear and a few other high-mojo biologists will be able to give you more info.

edit: **** meant feces. I just call it like I see it and rely upon the censor software to rein me in. :biggrin:
 


I love more details for not being misunderstanding this problem, I hope they will clearify soon because I am going to have a long winter sleep from now.
 


I'm sure that they'll be with you before long. Sorry that I can't be of any more help myself.
 
Deadly cattle screwworm parasite found in US patient. What to know. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2025/08/25/new-world-screwworm-human-case/85813010007/ Exclusive: U.S. confirms nation's first travel-associated human screwworm case connected to Central American outbreak https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-confirms-nations-first-travel-associated-human-screwworm-case-connected-2025-08-25/...
Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S. According to articles in the Los Angeles Times, "Chagas disease, long considered only a threat abroad, is established in California and the Southern U.S.", and "Kissing bugs bring deadly disease to California". LA Times requires a subscription. Related article -...
I am reading Nicholas Wade's book A Troublesome Inheritance. Please let's not make this thread a critique about the merits or demerits of the book. This thread is my attempt to understanding the evidence that Natural Selection in the human genome was recent and regional. On Page 103 of A Troublesome Inheritance, Wade writes the following: "The regional nature of selection was first made evident in a genomewide scan undertaken by Jonathan Pritchard, a population geneticist at the...
Back
Top