Chapter 11 Notes
The Biology of Puberty
Hormones : CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES THAT AFFECT CELLS THROUGHOUT THE BODY.
Influence metabolism, growth, mood, immune system, emotions, sleep, appetite, sexual
arousal, and reproductive cycle
Produced by small organs called Glands that are part of the Endocrine System
Estrogen and Testosterone production increases during puberty. Both are produced by
girls and boys but individually increases in their respective gender.
Hormone increases can cause sudden emotional changes and cycles.
Hormones also influence the mood during menstrual cycle.
Physical Development: Changes that Show
MAIN PHYSICAL CHANGES OF PUBERTY
Growth Spurt, rapid then slower growth
Primary Sex Characteristics: Growth in sexual organs
Secondary Sex Characteristics: Changes in breasts, pubic hair, voice, and facial hair
Body Composition, distribution of fat a muscles
Respiratory and Circulatory Systems, greater strength and edurance
Both boys and girls will have an adult shape
Boys will have broadened shoulders, a developed penis, and a lowered voice
Girls will have developed breasts and hips and lowered voices
Signs of Puberty
Age 10: The earliest signs in girls will be developing breasts and in boys the testes and
scrotum will begin to grow
Age 11-11½: Both girls and boys will being to develop pubic hair respectfully
Age 12: Girls hips will develop; Boys penis begins to grow.
Age 12-13: Girls will begin to have their first menstrual period (menarche); boys will
begin to be able to ejaculate (spermarche)
Age 14-15: Boys begin to grow facial hair
Girls will grow to their final height around 15-16 and will often be taller than their male
classmates. Most males grow until the age of 19 but both boys and girls can grow to age 25
Timing and Secular Trend
Girls, on average, begin puberty 2 years ahead of boys, around the age of 10-11 but it
can vary on ethnicity.
80% of American girls experience Menarche between 11-14.
Individual Differences: Genes and the Environment
Genetics play a role in puberty timing around 50%
Menarche timing has been shown to be similar in mothers and daughters
Health and nutrition also play a big role in the timing of puberty
Family environment can also affect the timing of Menarche
The Secular Trend
Secular Trend: A trend for menarche and other events in puberty to be experienced
earlier every year.
Puberty has been happing earlier every year.
Can be attributed to better nutrition, medical care, or more environmental toxins acting
as hormones
Cultural Differences and Puberty
Cultural differences in puberty have also been observed
The Psychological Impact of Puberty
Adolescence are physically and sexually mature years before they are ready to have
children or handle adult responsibilities
Hormones may cause rises in psychological problems such as depression or anxiety
Changes may come before everyone else in an age group and can leave children scared
or uncomfortable
Girls
Early maturation is associated with depression, anxiety, and eating disorders
Studies show the younger the first menarche the highet the BMI
Boys
Early maturation is values among boys and they are seen as good-natured, poised, and
athletic
Later maturation has been shown to increased lower self-esteem
Early maturation points to more negatives such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders,
etc.
Current Perspectives
Changes in the timing of puberty, coordination of changes, and interactions between
hormones and context affect how an individual goes through puberty
There is a wide range for timing and there are advantages and disadvantages for both
Body Image
Body image may be an evaluation of the whole body or only parts of it
Media affects the way body images is viewed
Dissatisfaction
Girls view higher body weight as bad compared to boys it is not severe
Cultural Differences in Body Image
Adolescence who are not satisfied with their bodies at 13 are generally more satisfied at
18
Brain development
Axons (Information Transmitters) continue to develop in adolescence so information can
move faster
Neural connections increase followed by a pruning for stronger connections
The corpus callosum shows the greatest increase in size during adolescent years
Brain development helps adolescence avoid risky behavior
As limbic systems mature adolescents become more responsive to pleasure and
emotion which is why they are so risky
Teachers can use this undeveloped brain to get them to put energy into what they enjoy
Sexual Activity
13-35% of adolescence engaged in sex by eight grade
Timing
Early Sexual Experiences(>15): More behavior problems
Middle Adolescent: Pessimistic about sex, more mature, less supervision
Late Experiences: More religious shared ideals with friends
Virginity Pledges
Pledgers are less likely to use a condom so pregnancy chance is higher
A girls has as many brothers as sister but brother have half as many brothers as sister
Sex Ed
Negative consequences of sexual are stds, hiv/aids, unwanted pregnancies, and
emotional stress
United states teen pregnancy rates are 9% higher than other developed countries
Approach to Sex Ed
Abstinence Only Education: Sex should be delayed till marriage
Comprehensive Sex Education: Still promote abstinence but still teach proper methods
of contraception and saftey
