puberty

(pyo͞o`bərtē), period during which the onset of sexual maturity occurs. It usually takes place between the ages of 10 and 15 in both sexes but sometimes occurs as early as 7 or 8 years of age in females. The pituitary glandpituitary gland,
small oval endocrine gland that lies at the base of the brain. It is sometimes called the master gland of the body because all the other endocrine glands depend on its secretions for stimulation (see endocrine system).
..... Click the link for more information. secretes hormones that stimulate enlargement and development of the sex organs, which thus become capable of reproduction. The appearance of secondary sex characteristics also occurs during puberty. In females the reproductive cycle of ovulation and menstruationmenstruation,
periodic flow of blood and cells from the lining of the uterus in humans and most other primates, occurring about every 28 days in women. Menstruation commences at puberty (usually between age 10 and 17).
..... Click the link for more information. begins, pubic hair appears, and development of the breasts and other body contours takes place. Physical changes in males include production and discharge of semen, appearance of facial and body hair, and deepening of the voice. Skin difficulties, such as acneacne,
common inflammatory disease of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands characterized by blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, nodules and, in the more severe forms, by cysts and scarring. The lesions appear on the face, neck, back, chest, and arms.
..... Click the link for more information. , may affect both sexes. Puberty, a transition period coinciding with adolescenceadolescence,
time of life from onset of puberty to full adulthood. The exact period of adolescence, which varies from person to person, falls approximately between the ages 12 and 20 and encompasses both physiological and psychological changes.
..... Click the link for more information. , involves both physiological and psychological adjustments. It is often marked by emotional stress arising as the adolescent relinquishes childhood behavior patterns and adopts those of an adult.

Puberty

the period in an animal’s development during which, as a result of profound internal changes, it attains sexual maturity, or the ability to reproduce.

In man, puberty is marked by accelerated growth of some parts of the skeleton followed by establishment of the body’s definitive proportions, the formation of secondary sex characteristics and final development of the sexual organs. An important feature of puberty is the release from the body of products of the external and internal secretions of the sexual glands. In girls this leads to the onset of the menstrual cycle, and in boys to the ability to ejaculate, usually at first in the form of noctural emissions.

During puberty there is a restructuring of hormonal regulation and of physical and mental development. The latter includes sexual awareness, that is, the awareness that the individual belongs to a specific sex and the ability to regulate sexual behavior in accordance with society’s moral and ethical standards. Several stages may be distinguished in the growth of sexual awareness: elementary and nonsensual notions of sexual differences, platonic love, the awakening of specifically sexual feelings associated with the genital area, and mature sexual awareness, which is the harmonious correlation of all its components.

The onset and tempo of puberty are determined by the interaction of inherent physical factors and environmental influences. The age of the onset of puberty varies widely within the following limits, with allowance made for the processes of acceleration. In girls puberty occurs between eight and 17 years of age, and in boys between ten and 20. Unfavorable living conditions and such factors as poor diet or disease are reflected in disharmonic, retarded, and occasionally accelerated physical, mental, and sexual development.

REFERENCES

Shtefko, V. G. “Vvedenie v izuchenie anatomo-biologicheskikh osobennostei pubertatnogo vozrasta.” In Osnovy vozrastnoi morfologii. Moscow, 1933.
Lebedinskaia, K. S. Psikhicheskie narusheniia u detei s patologiei tempa polovogo sozrevaniia. Moscow, 1969.
Sal’nikova, G. P. Fizicheskoe razvitie shkol’nikov. Moscow, 1968.
Solov’eva, V. S. “Uroven’ polovogo sozrevaniia kak odin iz pokazatelei biologicheskogo vozrasta organizma podrostka i aspekty ego primeneniia.” In Host i razvitie rebenka. Moscow, 1973. Pages 152–88.
Donovan, B. T., and J. J. van der Werff ten Bosch. Fiziologiia polovogo razvitiia. Moscow, 1974. (Translated from English.)
Tanner, J. M. Growth at Adolescence, 2nd ed. Oxford, 1962.

G. S. VASIL’CHENKO

puberty

[′pyü·bərd·ē] (physiology) The period at which the generative organs become capable of exercising the function of reproduction; signalized in the boy by a change of voice and discharge of semen, in the girl by the appearance of the menses.

puberty

the period at the beginning of adolescence when the sex glands become functional and the secondary sexual characteristics emerge

puberty

Puberty

Definition

Puberty is the period of human development during which physical growth and sexual maturation occurs.

Description

Beginning as early as age eight in girls-and two years later, on average, in boys—the hypothalamus (part of the brain) signals hormonal change that stimulates the pituitary. In turn, the pituitary releases its own hormones called gonadotrophins that stimulate the gonads and adrenals. From these glands come a flood of sex hormones—androgens and testosterone in the male, estrogens and progestins in the female-that regulate the growth and function of the sex organs. It is interesting to note that the gonadotrophins are the same for males and females, but the sex hormones they induce are different.In the United States, the first sign of puberty occurs on average at age 11 in girls, with menstruation and fertility following about two years later. Boys lag behind by about two years. Puberty may not begin until age 16 in boys and continue in a desultory fashion on past age 20. In contrast to puberty, adolescence is more of a social/cultural term referring to the interval between childhood and adulthood.

Diagnosis

Puberty has been divided into five Sexual Maturity Rating (SMR) stages by two doctors, W. Marshall and J. M. Tanner. These ratings are often referred to as Tanner Stages 1-5. Staging is based on pubic hair growth, on male genital development, and female breast development. Staging helps determine whether development is normal for a given age. Both sexes also grow axillary (arm pit) hair and pimples. Males develop muscle mass, a deeper voice, and facial hair. Females redistribute body fat. Along with the maturing of the sex organs, there is a pronounced growth spurt averaging 3-4 in (8-10 cm) and culminating in full adult stature. Puberty can be precocious (early) or delayed. It all depends upon the sex hormones.Puberty falling outside the age limits considered normal for any given population should prompt a search for the cause. As health and nutrition have improved over the past few generations, there has been a gradual decrease in the average age for the normal onset of puberty.

Excess hormone stimulation is the cause for precocious puberty. It can come from the brain in the form of gonadotrophins or from the gonads and adrenals. Overproduction may be caused by functioning tumors or simple overactivity. Brain overproduction can also be the result of brain infections or injury.
Likewise, delayed puberty is due to insufficient hormone. If the pituitary output is inadequate, so will be the output from the gonads and adrenals. On the other hand, a normal pituitary will overproduce if it senses there are not enough hormones in the circulation.
There are several congenital disorders (polyglandular deficiency syndromes) that include failure of hormone output. These children do not experience normal puberty, but it may be induced by giving them the proper hormones at the proper time.
Finally, there are in females abnormalities in hormone production that produce male characteristics—so called virilizing syndromes. Should one of these appear during adolescence, it will disturb the normal progress of puberty. Notice that virilizing requires abnormal hormones in the female, while feminizing results from absent hormones in the male. Each embryo starts out life as female. Male hormones transform it if they are present.

Delayed or precocious puberty requires measurement of the several hormones involved to determine which are lacking or which are in excess. There are blood tests for each one. If a tumor is suspected, imaging of the suspect organ needs to be done with x rays, computed tomography scans (CT scans), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Treatment

Puberty is a period of great stress, both physically and emotionally. The psychological changes and challenges of puberty are made infinitely greater if its timing is off.In precocious puberty, the offending gland or tumor may require surgical attention, although there are several drugs now that counteract hormone effects. If delayed, puberty can be stimulated with the correct hormones. Treatment should not be delayed because necessary bone growth is also affected.

Prognosis

Properly administered hormones can restore the normal growth pattern.

Resources

Books

Fauci, Anthony S., et al., editors. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997.

Key terms

Adrenals — Glands on top of the kidneys that produce four different types of hormones.Computed tomography scan (CT) — A method of creating images of internal organs using x rays.Embryo — The life in the womb during the first two months.Gonads — Glands that make sex hormones and reproductive cells-testes in the male, ovaries in the female.Hormone — A chemical produced in one place that has an effect somewhere else in the body.Hypothalamus — Part of the brain located deep in the center of the skull and just above the pituitary.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) — A method of creating images of internal organs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses magnet fields and radio-frequency signals.Pituitary — The "master gland" of the body, controlling many of the others by releasing stimulating hormones.Syndrome — A collection of abnormalities that occur often enough to suggest they have a common cause.

puberty

[pu´ber-te] the period during which the secondary sex characters begin to develop and the capability of sexual reproduction is attained. In girls it is marked by broadening of the hips, development of the breasts, appearance of pubic hair, and onset of menstruation. In boys it is marked by broadening of the shoulders, deepening of the voice, and appearance of pubic and facial hair. Girls usually reach puberty between age 11 and 13, and boys between 13 and 15, although the timing varies widely.precocious puberty unusually early sexual maturation, defined as before age 8 in girls and 9 in boys; both isosexual and contrasexual types occur. It is usually hormonal (central or true precocious p.,) although occasionally it occurs in otherwise normal children, such as those with a family history of it (constitutional precocious p.).

pu·ber·ty

(pyū'bĕr-tē), 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. [L. pubertas, fr. puber, grown up]

puberty

(pyo͞o′bər-tē)n. The stage of adolescence in which an individual becomes physiologically capable of sexual reproduction.

pu′ber·tal, pu′ber·al (-bər-əl) adj.

puberty

The point of life at which an adolescent begins to secrete adult levels of oestrogen and testosterone, resulting in adult sexual characteristics such as breasts, facial hair and public hair.

puberty

Adolescent medicine The period of hormone-induced transition to adolescence with development of 2º sex characteristics, ending in procreative maturity. See Early puberty, Precocious puberty, Premature puberty, Pseudopuberty, Pubertal delay.

pu·ber·ty

(pyu'bĕr-tē) Sequence of events by which a child becomes a young adult, characterized by the beginning of gametogenesis, secretion of gonadal hormones, and development of secondary sexual characteristics and reproductive functions; sexual dimorphism is accentuated. In girls, the first signs of puberty may be evident at age 8 years with the process largely completed by age 16 years; in boys, puberty commonly begins at ages 10-12 years and is largely completed by age 18 years. Ethnic and geographic factors may influence the time at which various events typical of puberty occur. [L. pubertas, fr. puber, grown up]

puberty

The period during which the sexual organs change from the infantile to the adult form, the SECONDARY SEXUAL CHARACTERISTICS develop and the bodily structure assumes adult proportions. Body weight may double during puberty. Puberty usually occurs between the ages of about 10 and 15 and is often associated with emotional upsets as the individual comes to terms with his or her new-found sexuality. Puberty is initiated by PITUITARY GLAND hormones called GONADOTROPHINS. These stimulate the testes and ovaries to produce sex hormones.

puberty

the period at the beginning of human adolescence when sexual maturity is attained.

pu·ber·ty

(pyu'bĕr-tē) Sequence of events during which a child becomes a young adult, characterized by beginning of gonadotropin secretion, gametogenesis, secretion of gonadal hormones, development of secondary sexual characteristics and reproductive functions; sexual dimorphism is accentuated. [L. pubertas, fr. puber, grown up]

Patient discussion about puberty

Q. which nutrition is recommended during puberty ? A. puberty is a time when children experience growth spurt and their body needs a great amount of carbs, protein and vitamins and can skip the horrendous amount of fat that junk food supplies.
here is a good site about kids health that will give you some ideas what is good and what isn't in teen's nutrition-
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/

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REFERENCES

puberty

puberty

puberty

Puberty

Definition

Description

Diagnosis

Treatment

Prognosis

Resources

Books

Key terms

puberty

pu·ber·ty

puberty

puberty

puberty

pu·ber·ty

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pu·ber·ty

Patient discussion about puberty

Puberty

puberty

Synonyms for puberty

noun adolescence

Synonyms

Synonyms for puberty

noun the time of life between childhood and maturity

Synonyms

Synonyms for puberty

noun the time of life when sex glands become functional

Synonyms

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