Chapter 14

Question 1

When does puberty typically begin and end (the wide range of years)?

Answer 1

o Puberty begins: time between the first onrush of hormones and full adult physical development
o Puberty usually lasts three to five years
o Normally pubertal hormones begin to increase between ages 8 and 14 and visible signs of puberty appear a year later

Question 2

What accounts for a large portion of the variance in beginning of puberty? What are the chemicals called that prompt the start of puberty?

Answer 2

o Variance in beginning: about 2/3 of variation is genetic
o Chemicals that prompt puberty
§ Hormone: chemical substance that affects physiological function
§ Pituitary gland: Produces hormones that stimulate adrenal gland and sex gland
§ Adrenal gland: produces hormones including ‘stress hormones’ epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine

Question 3

What are the two sequences of puberty hormone production and their related glands that indicate the beginning of puberty?

Answer 3

o HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal) axis
§ Related glands: pituitary and adrenal
o HPG (hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad) axis
§ Related glands: Pituitary and gonad

Question 4

· What are primary and secondary sex characteristics?

Answer 4

o Primary sex characteristics: Parts of the body that are directly involved in reproduction including the vagina, uterus, ovaries, testicles, and penis.
o Secondary sex characteristics: physical traits that are not directly involved in reproduction but that indicate sexual maturity, such as a man’s beard and a woman’s breast

Question 5

How does stress impact puberty?

Answer 5

o Direct link between stress and puberty

Makes it come sooner

Question 6

· What might be a helpful schedule change for teens due to their sleep patterns? What is another change that could be made in high school to meet the changes of puberty for adolescents?

Answer 6

o Go to bed early, ¾ high school seniors are sleep deprived
o Start school later
- more sex education

Question 7

What does body image entail? What are some common changes to adolescent body image?

Answer 7

o Focus on and exaggeration of imperfections
o Few adolescents are happy with their bodies
o

Question 8

· Which developed nation has the highest rate of teen pregnancy?

Answer 8

United States

Question 9

How does being early-maturing (in terms of timing of puberty) affect girls and boys differently?

Answer 9

o Girls
§ Early-maturing girls tend to have lower self-esteem, more depression, and poorer body image than later-maturing girls.
§ Early-maturing girls may be attracted to older boyfriends and enter into abusive relationships more often than other girls.
o Boys
§ Early-maturing boys are more aggressive, law-breaking, and alcohol-abusing than later-maturing boys.
§ Slow developing boys tend to be more anxious, depressed, and afraid of sex.
§ Size and maturation are important for many adolescents in every nation.