Adolescence is considered a crisis age. Its physiological basis is puberty - puberty, therefore adolescence is otherwise called pubertal. During it, children change especially strongly.
Puberty is the age when a boy becomes a boy and a girl becomes a girl. It is at this time that sex differences between children become especially obvious.
The onset of puberty occurs on average at 10-11 years for girls and at 12-13 for boys. There may be deviations within the normal range for 1-2 years in both directions. The factors that accelerate the onset of puberty include a warm climate and high-calorie nutrition.
The "triggering mechanism" of puberty is the production of gonadoliberin. Under the influence of this hormone of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland begins to produce luteinizing hormone, which in the female body stimulates the production of estrogen, and in the male - testosterone. These hormones cause changes that are characteristic of puberty.
The main change is the development and beginning of the functioning of the reproductive organs. In boys, the testicles enlarge, the size of which has not changed after reaching the age of one year, and the penis also grows. As the testes grow, they begin not only to produce sex hormones, but to perform a second function - to produce sperm. About a year after the onset of puberty, the penis acquires the ability to erect, and then emissions begin - involuntary eruptions of sperm.
In girls, the first manifestation of puberty is a lump around the nipple and breast growth. The ovaries and uterus also grow, follicles begin to mature in the ovaries, and after about 2 years the first menstruation occurs.
Sex hormones also have other effects on the body. Male causes increased bone growth as well as the larynx and vocal cords. For this reason, boys after puberty are on average 13 cm taller than their peers. With the growth of the larynx, a phenomenon known as mutation or breaking of the voice is associated - it becomes lower. This does not happen immediately, until the mutation is complete, the voice is uncontrollable, it becomes difficult for the boy to speak and it is almost impossible to sing. The girls' voice also changes, but it is not so painful.
In girls, under the influence of female hormones, the pelvic bones grow in width, the volume of adipose tissue increases. It is deposited on the thighs, mammary glands, buttocks, pubis and shoulder girdle, forming the characteristic "feminine shape" of the body. Teens of any gender develop pubic and armpit hair.
Puberty is a dramatic change in hormonal balance. A new balance cannot be established immediately, it takes several years, during which the teenager lives in a state of hormonal imbalance. Some unpleasant manifestations of puberty are associated with this: increased sweating, acne, mood swings, fatigue, aggressiveness.
The mental manifestations of the pubertal period include an increased interest in the changes taking place in their own body. The latter often become the subject of torment for a teenager. Interest in the opposite sex arises at this age.
