{"id":4912,"date":"2020-12-01T09:07:46","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T03:37:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cbselibrary.com\/?p=4912"},"modified":"2020-12-01T17:38:17","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T12:08:17","slug":"changes-adolescence-puberty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cbselibrary.com\/changes-adolescence-puberty\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the Changes of Adolescence and Puberty"},"content":{"rendered":"

What are the Changes of Adolescence and Puberty<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The period of transition from childhood to adulthood is called adolescence<\/strong>. The boys and girls passing through this period are called adolescents. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines adolescence as the period of life between 10 and 19 years of age. Adolescence is characterized by changes like development of breasts in girls and facial hair in boys. As these characteristics help in distinguishing males (i.e., boys) from females (i.e., girls), they are referred to as secondary sexual characteristics. The stage in which secondary sexual characteristics develop is referred to as the stage of maturity or puberty<\/strong>. Puberty is the start of the time when a boy is biologically ready to become a father and a girl is biologically ready to become a mother. Let us discuss the changes that take place when girls and boys reach puberty.<\/p>\n

Physical Changes<\/h3>\n

The following physical changes take place in girls and boys during puberty<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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  1. Increase in height and weight<\/strong> Puberty is characterized by a \u2018growth spurt\u2019\u2014a rapid increase in height and weight in both boys and girls. The rate of growth may vary from person to person. Generally, girls grow faster than boys initially, but both reach their maximum height around 18 years of age.<\/li>\n
  2. Change in body shape<\/strong> In girls, the hips broaden and the pelvic region widens. In boys, muscles develop and shoulders become broader.<\/li>\n
  3. Body hair<\/strong> During puberty, hair develop under armpits and in the pubic region in both boys and girls. Boys also develop facial hair (i.e., moustache and beard) and hair on the chest.<\/li>\n
  4. Development of reproductive organs<\/strong> In girls, the ovaries enlarge and start producing mature eggs. In boys, testes and penis develop completely and the testes start producing sperms.<\/li>\n
  5. Change in voice<\/strong> The voice box or larynx increases in size during puberty, which results in a change in voice. Generally, this increase in size is more in boys and the enlarged voice box can be observed as a prominent lump called Adam\u2019s apple in the neck region. Due to larger voice boxes, boys generally develop a deep voice while girls tend to have a high-pitched voice.\"WhatInitially, increase in the size of the larynx may cause a boy\u2019s voice to \u2018crack\u2019 or \u2018break\u2019, but the voice becomes normal after some time.<\/li>\n
  6. Increased activity of sweat and oil glands<\/strong> During puberty, sweat and oil glands in the body become very active and cause increased sweating. Increased activity of these glands may also cause acne or pimples in adolescents.
    \nIn addition to the above, the following physical changes are observed in girls.<\/li>\n
  7. Enlargement of breasts<\/strong> During puberty, breasts increase in size and milk-producing glands called mammary glands develop inside them.<\/li>\n
  8. Beginning of the menstrual cycle<\/strong> From the onset of puberty, the two ovaries inside a girl\u2019s body take turns to produce an egg or ovum (plural ova), and one ovum is released every 28 days. The process of release of an ovum by an ovary is called ovulation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The cycle of producing and releasing mature ova is called the menstrual cycle<\/strong> (menstrual means month in Latin). The start of the menstrual cycle indicates that the girl has now acquired the ability to have a baby. During the menstrual cycle,<\/p>\n