Puberty is the period when a child's body matures into an adult through hormone-driven changes. The pituitary gland and gonads produce hormones that stimulate growth and development during puberty. For girls, estrogen production begins around age 10-12 which causes breast development and menstrual periods. For boys, testosterone production around age 12-14 triggers growth of facial hair and deepening of the voice. Both sexes experience physical, sexual, and emotional changes as their bodies become capable of reproduction.

1. Human Body: Puberty

2. Puberty
Puberty is the the period of time, during
adolescence, when a child’s body changes into
that of an adult and the reproductive system starts
to work.
Most girls reach puberty at 10–12 years, and
boys reach it at 12–14 years.

3. Endocrine System
Endocrine system
 Structures or glands that secrete hormones causing bodily
functions, including the onset of puberty.
 The pituitary gland controls the body’s growth and the level
of water in the body.
Hormone
 A chemical messenger that is made by an endocrine gland and
carried in the blood to its target tissue or organ.

4. Hormones Involved in Puberty
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH for
short.
 When GnRH reaches the pituitary gland, this gland releases
into the bloodstream two more puberty hormones:
luteinizing hormone (LH for short) and follicle-
stimulating hormone (FSH for short)

5. Puberty Hormones in Males
FSH and LH travel through the blood and give the testes the
signal to begin the production of testosterone and sperm
Testosterone is the hormone that causes most of the changes in
a male’s body during puberty
Sperm cells must be produced for men to reproduce

6. Puberty Hormones in Females
FSH and LH target the ovaries, which contain eggs that have
been there since birth.
 The hormones stimulate the ovaries to begin producing another
hormone called estrogen.
Estrogen, along with FSH and LH, causes a girl's body to
mature and prepares her for pregnancy.

7. Effects of Puberty
 Physical changes in males
 An increase in size and weight (growth), broadening of the shoulders,
growth of facial and body hair, voice deepens, sexual organs become
larger and the penis is able to become erect. Sperm are produced.
 Physical changes in females
 Increase in size (growth), change of body shape, including the
formation of breasts and the widening of the hips, both in preparation
for childbearing. Body hair grows around the genitals and under the
arms. The menstrual cycle begins, involving ovulation.
 Emotional changes in males and females
 These include mood swings, anxiety, intense sexual feelings, and
changes in relationships with others.