Puberty For Girls and Boys

Introduction:

• Puberty is the phase in which an individual attains sexual maturity.
• It is characterised by the physical and the hormonal changes thats takes places in both males and females.It prepares the body for the sexual reproduction.
• As the male and the female reach the age of puberty, the hypothalamus region in the brain secretes the gonadotropin releasing hormone that initiates the changes in the body to cause puberty.

Topics covered:

• Pubertal changes in males
• Pubertal changes in females

Pubertal changes in males

• In males, the age of puberty is 13-16 years.
• Its onset is characterized by:
  -  Spermatogenesis or formation of sperms.
  -  Development and maturation of secondary sexual organs such as prostate, scrotum and penis.
  -  Development and control of secondary sexual characters such as:
• growth of facial,pubic, axillary and chest hair.
• deepening of voice,
• broadening of shoulders
• Masculinisation
• Development of Adam's apple, etc.
  -   Height spurt
  -   Changes in libido.
  -   Aggressive behaviour.

Pubertal changes in females

• In females, the age of puberty is 10-14 years and is characterized with the beginning of ovulation and the menstrual cycle.
• Menarche marks the initiation of menstruation
• Other changes that take place in the female body during puberty are:
  -  Breast development (Thelarche)
  -  Growth of pubic and axillary hair
  -  Widening of pelvis leading to widening of the hip region
  -  Increase in fat depositions under the skin in the regions such as thigh, face and buttocks
  -  Long bones in females stops growing and the height becomes constant

Learn more about the female reproductive system parts. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q1: At what age does puberty end?
Answer:

• Puberty lasts for about 2-5 years throughout which, the secondary sexual characters in both male and female are com depletely developed.
• A female continues to grow due to the hormonal changes taking place during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

Q2: Why does the voice of boys become low pitched (cracky) after a particular age?
Answer:

• The cracky voice of a boy is developed after a particular age, that is at the age of puberty.
• It is due to the release of the androgen, testosterone that cause the thickening and the loosening of the vocal cords that makes the voice of a make of low pitch.

Q3: How is puberty triggered?
Answer:

• Puberty is triggered due to the release of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus region of the brain in both males and females after a particular age.
• The GnRH acts on the pituitary gland that releases FSH and LH hormone that in turn causes an increase in testosterone and ovarian hormones in male and female respectively, causing all the changes.

Q4: What is thelarche?
Answer:

• Thelarche is the development of the breast after the age of puberty in females due to the increase in the levels of female sex hormones (oestrogen) in the blood after puberty.

Q5:What is precocious puberty?
Answer:

• Precocious puberty is the early onset of puberty in males and females.
• It is more common now-a-days due to the food habit and lifestyle changes.
• Puberty in females starts before the age of 8 years and in male it starts before 9 years.