WHAT IS PUBERTY?

Adolescence Refers to the stage of human development encompassing the transition from childhood to adulthood

Puberty Refers to biological changes and sexual maturation that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Dimensions of Puberty Maturation of the body Maturation of the psyche Social maturation

When Does Puberty Begin? Girls: 9-13 years Boys: 11-14 years

Physical Changes Arms and legs grow faster than head or trunk. Facial proportions change, nose and chin enlarge first. Figure changes begin: Pelvis enlarges in females Shoulders enlarge in males

Physical Changes Subcutaneous fat increases Increased function of sweat glands Increase function of sebaceous glands

Secondary Sexual Characteristics: Girls Breast enlargement begins 8-13 yrs Auxiliary hair develops 11-13 yrs Pubic hair develops 10-12 yrs Menstruation begins 10-16 yrs

Secondary Sexual Characteristics: Boys Genital enlargement begins 9-13 yrs Auxiliary hair begins 12-14 yrs Facial hair develops 11-14 yrs Pubic hair develops 12-15 yrs

Emotional Development An increase in self-awareness, self-consciousness, and self-appraisal Becoming pre-occupied with how they measure up to their peers

Emotional Development No longer accepting only parental views, but begin to use the values of peers as criteria with which to judge own values Continue to need family to provide acceptance and feeling of self-worth

Intellectual Development The excitement of thinking through possibilities leads to argumentativeness The joy of putting across ideas and listening to ideas of peers leads to constant gabfests and hours spent on the phone/texting. Learning is rapid

Social Development Masculinity and femininity develop rapidly Increased interest in the opposite sex Self-consciousness about changing body make appearance to the opposite sex very important

Why does all this happen? About two years before you notice any changes, your brain starts the work that will eventually change you from a child to an adult.

Two parts of the brain called the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland start making a lot more of some hormones including growth hormone, LH and FSH. These hormones act on other parts of your body to make the changes happen.

For boys -the LH and FSH work on their testes and adrenal glands (glands next to the kidneys) to make androgens (sex hormones) such as testosterone. They also work on the testes so that they start to make sperm.

For girls - these hormones work on their ovaries (where all the eggs that they might ever use have been stored since before they were born), as well as on their adrenal glands, so that they make more of the female sex hormones such as estrogen and progesterone

Both boys and girls have some of all of these hormones but boys have more androgens and girls have more estrogens, and the different levels of these hormones make the differences in their bodies.

When are you fully developed? The average age for girls to finish growing is about 17. Boys have usually finished growing by about 19. A person is not fully sexually mature until 2-3 years after reaching full adult height, but girls can have a baby, and boys can father a child even when they are not fully physically mature.