Why are pheromones christened as 'social hormones'?

Answer 1

Pheromones are chemicals that are emitted/secreted by animals that trigger a social response in other animals of the same species. This is why they are "social hormones"- hormones affect behavior, and pheromones cause different social behaviors.

There are many different types of pheromones, such as alarm pheromones (e.g. aphids release it when attacked by a predator and it causes them to fly away), food trail pheromones (e.g. ants lay a trail from the nest to where the food is), and sex pheromones (e.g. males secrete it which arouses females around them), among others. In all of these cases, some kind of social behavior is triggered by the releasing of the pheromones.

Answer 2

Pheromones are known as "social hormones" because they play a key role in communication and social behavior among members of the same species. They can elicit various responses in others, such as attracting mates, marking territories, or signaling danger. This social aspect of pheromones highlights their importance in many animal behaviors.