What Is Puberty? What Is Early Puberty? What Is Late Puberty?

[dr-awale]

Puberty is the period in children's lives when they experience physical changes by which their bodies eventually become adult bodies that are capable of reproducing. Puberty is triggered by hormone signals from the brain to the ovaries and testes (gonads). The ovaries (in girls) and testes (in boys) respond to hormone signals from the brain by producing a range of hormones that stimulate the growth, function and change in various parts of the body, including the reproductive organs, breasts, skin, muscles, bones, hair and the brain.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary, puberty is a "Sequence of events by which a child becomes a young adult, characterized by the beginning of gonadotropin secretion, gametogenesis, secretion of gonadal hormones, development of secondary sexual characteristics and reproductive functions; sexual dimorphism is accentuated. In girls, the first signs of normal puberty may be evident after age 8 with the process largely completed by age 16; in boys, normal puberty commonly begins at age 9 and is largely completed by age 18. Ethnic and geographic factors may influence the time at which various events typical of puberty occur."

Growth is fast in the first half of puberty and stops when puberty is completed. Before puberty boys and girls are only different in having different genitalia (sex organs). During puberty several other differences between the sexes start to emerge, including body size, shape, composition and function development in several body systems and structure - we refer to the noticeable differences as secondary sex characteristics.

Puberty also includes the psychological and social changeover from childhood to adulthood. In this article the focus will be more on the physical aspects of puberty, rather than the psychological or social ones.

Many factors can contribute to exactly when puberty begins in a child, even stress. A study found that stress, such as that brought on by parental separation and absentee fathers, fast tracks puberty.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156451.php?nfid=43325