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Questions and Answers
What is the term for the significant increase in hormone production during adolescence, particularly in sex hormones?
Hormonal surge
What are the two primary sex hormones that promote physical changes during puberty?
Estrogen and testosterone
What is the term for the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction?
Puberty
What physical changes occur in boys during puberty?
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What is the term for the growth and development of breasts in girls during puberty?
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At what average age range do girls typically experience menarche, or their first menstrual period?
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What is the term for the elimination of unnecessary neural connections in the brain during adolescence?
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What is the process by which a fatty insulation layer is formed around neurons, increasing the speed and efficiency of neural transmission?
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What is the term for the development of a stable sense of self, including values, beliefs, and attitudes, during adolescence?
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What role do peer relationships and social groups play in shaping adolescent identities?
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What cognitive change occurs in adolescents, allowing them to think abstractly and consider multiple perspectives?
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Why are adolescents more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors?
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Study Notes
Hormonal Changes
- Hormonal surge: During adolescence, there is a significant increase in hormone production, particularly sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone).
- Triggered by: Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis) activation, which stimulates the release of GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone).
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Effects on body:
- Estrogen promotes feminization (e.g., breast development, widening of hips).
- Testosterone promotes masculinization (e.g., facial hair, deepening of voice).
Body Composition
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Changes in body shape and size:
- Boys: Widening of shoulders, increase in muscle mass, and development of facial hair.
- Girls: Widening of hips, breast development, and redistribution of body fat.
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Changes in body proportions:
- Legs and arms grow longer, while torso remains relatively short.
- Hands and feet grow larger.
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Fat distribution:
- Boys: Loss of fat in extremities, gain in trunk and visceral areas.
- Girls: Redistribution of fat to hips, thighs, and buttocks.
Puberty
- Definition: The process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction.
- Tanner stages: A 5-stage system to track physical development during puberty, measuring breast development in girls and genital development in boys.
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Average age range:
- Girls: 10-14 years old (menarche: 11-12 years old).
- Boys: 12-16 years old (spermarche: 13-14 years old).
- Variation in timing: Puberty can start earlier (precocious puberty) or later (delayed puberty) than average, depending on individual factors.
Hormonal Changes
- Hormonal surge occurs during adolescence, characterized by a significant increase in hormone production, particularly sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone).
- The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis) activation triggers the release of GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone), leading to the hormonal surge.
- Estrogen promotes feminization, resulting in breast development, widening of hips, and other female characteristics.
- Testosterone promotes masculinization, resulting in facial hair, deepening of voice, and other male characteristics.
Body Composition
- Boys experience widening of shoulders, increase in muscle mass, and development of facial hair.
- Girls experience widening of hips, breast development, and redistribution of body fat.
- Legs and arms grow longer, while the torso remains relatively short.
- Hands and feet grow larger.
- Boys lose fat in extremities, gaining fat in trunk and visceral areas.
- Girls experience redistribution of fat to hips, thighs, and buttocks.
Puberty
- Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of reproduction.
- The Tanner stages are a 5-stage system to track physical development during puberty, measuring breast development in girls and genital development in boys.
- Puberty typically occurs in girls between 10-14 years old, with menarche (first menstruation) occurring around 11-12 years old.
- Puberty typically occurs in boys between 12-16 years old, with spermarche (first sperm production) occurring around 13-14 years old.
- The timing of puberty can vary, with some individuals experiencing precocious puberty (early onset) or delayed puberty (late onset).
Brain Development
- The brain undergoes significant changes during adolescence, including synaptic pruning, which eliminates unnecessary neural connections.
- Myelination increases, forming a fatty insulation layer around neurons, which increases the speed and efficiency of neural transmission.
- Key brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus, undergo significant development and refinement during adolescence.
Identity Formation
- Adolescents engage in exploration and experimentation to discover their identities, including trying new activities, roles, and relationships.
- The development of a stable self-concept, including one's values, beliefs, and attitudes, is a critical aspect of adolescent identity formation.
- Peer relationships and social groups play a significant role in shaping adolescent identities, with adolescents often trying on different identities and roles.
Cognitive Changes
- Adolescents develop more advanced reasoning and problem-solving skills, including the ability to think abstractly and consider multiple perspectives.
- Increased risk-taking behaviors are common among adolescents due to the development of the brain's reward system and the influence of peer pressure.
- Adolescents develop an increased awareness of their own thought processes, enabling them to reflect on their own learning and thinking.
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Description
Learn about the significant hormonal surge during adolescence, triggered by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Understand how estrogen and testosterone affect the body.
