Learn all about physical development in adolescence. Learn what puberty is, identify the physical changes in adolescence, and see the sex differences in this stage.
Updated: 03/21/2022
Puberty and Sex Differences During Adolescence
Physical Development in Adolescence
The word, "adolescence" comes from the Latin word "adolecere" which means "to grow; to mature".
Adolescence is an important period when an individual changes from a being child into being an adult. This time of significant transitions is marked by physical, psychological, and emotional changes. While it is sometimes confused with puberty, there is a difference. Adolescence is a transitional phase marking the start of adulthood while puberty is characterized by specific physical changes due to hormone production. Adolescence is often understood of as three stages prior to adulthood:
- Early adolescence is the period from ages eleven to fourteen. During this time rapid growth occurs. Interest in sex and curiosity arises, but typically, the level of curiosity is beyond the experience.
- Mid adolescence is the period from fifteen to seventeen. This is the peak of growth. This is often a time of sexual experimentation and understanding of sexual orientation.
- Late adolescence is the time from eighteen to twenty-one. Growth slows at this point, and sexual identity is typically coherent and understood.
There are five characteristic changes during the period of adolescence:
- Physical changes (commonly known as puberty) are the hallmark of this period. These include changes to the individual's muscle, brain, and skeletal structure. Generally, these changes occur earlier for girls than for boys, however, there are several factors that contribute to the timing of this process.
- Social changes are indicated by shifting peer groups, increased sense of independence, and change in self-esteem. It is critical that positive role models appear in an individual's life during this time to ensure that healthy socialization occurs.
- Personal changes occur as adolescents learn to develop their own opinions and find their place in the world around them.
- Emotional changes are marked by mood swings, which can be intense and unpredictable. As individuals develop their sense of self, they can feel misunderstood, unsupported, and isolated.
- Cognitive changes result from increased ability for abstract thought. Language development provides for greater communication skills and thus increases the ability to differentiate between oneself and the values of others.
Physical Changes in Adolescence
The specific physical changes that occur during adolescence are known as puberty. For females, puberty typically begins around age twelve, while for boys, this often starts nearer to fourteen. Puberty does not have a specific beginning end date, but it usually lasts for approximately four years. During this time, physical growth can happen rapidly. These rapid changes are referred to as growth spurts.
Growth spurts often occur one to two years after the onset of puberty. The rate of growth in height and weight during a growth spurt depends on a variety of factors including nutrition, individual genetic history, and socioeconomic status. Adolescents who experience a lack of necessary nutrition may not have the caloric intake needed to fuel the body's requirements for development. An individual's genetic history largely contributes to growth spurts, which is to say that if one looks back as to when a mother or father experienced growth, that will likely be the case for the children as well. Lastly, socioeconomic factors refer to the environment in which a person lives and the quality of relationships in that environment. Children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds tend to have reduced trending growth during puberty. This is believed to result from a lack of healthy foods and exercise.
Adolescence and Puberty
Larry is at an awkward time in his life. He's 15 and has begun noticing some serious changes. He suddenly has problems with pimples, and he has hair growing in odd places. His voice sometimes cracks, and he's grown several inches in the last year alone!
Larry's not alone. His twin sister Linda is also going through changes. She, too, has pimples, and her body is growing softer and fuller in certain areas.
Larry and Linda are in adolescence, which is the transitional time between childhood and adulthood. Generally, adolescence is defined as between ages 13 and 20. During adolescence, children go through puberty, which is a period of about four years of physical development that ends when a person is able to reproduce. Notice that adolescence encompasses many different changes: physical, emotional, intellectual and social. But puberty is just the physical changes.
Let's look closer at some of the physical developments in adolescence and puberty, including growth spurts and differences in development at this stage of life.
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Sex Differences in Puberty
The role of biological sex in the experience of puberty is important to understand. Physical changes begin with hormone production in the hypothalamus and those hormones then travel to the pituitary gland. In males, the hormones produced are sent to the testes, where sperm are produced. In females, hormones are sent to the ovaries signaling the start of the process of ovulation, also understood as egg maturation. In the cases of both males and females, the production of these hormones and the triggering process that follows allow for reproduction to occur. Reproduction is the goal of puberty in human beings.
While girls tend to develop before boys, there are similar changes during puberty. Both sexes grow hair in the pubic and underarm regions. Both sexes will also grow in height and weight.
The path for boys will also include enlargement of the penis and the experience of ejaculation; the excretion of a fluid called semen that contains sperm, which is necessary for the goal of reproduction. Boys will also develop muscle mass faster than girls during this time.
Girls will have their own unique experiences that include the development of breast tissue and an increase in body fat, creating a more contoured body shape in the hip and thigh region. In girls, bones will also become harder and more brittle.
Hormone production can also cause concerns for individuals experiencing puberty. Acne, or pimples, can become a challenge due to clogged pores in the skin. The hormones associated with puberty can cause oil to build up and cause acne. In addition to acne, adolescents can experience concerns with body odor because of hormone production. Bathing regularly and washing properly can help individuals avoid this issue.
Lesson Summary
Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood. It can often be confused with puberty. However, puberty is only one part of adolescence. Puberty is the physical growth that occurs during this time. It is important to note that during adolescence, other changes also occur. These changes include socialization, increased cognitive ability, as well as shifts in personal and emotional development.
Puberty typically lasts for about four years during adolescence and begins earlier for girls than it does for boys. In girls, this age of growth begins around the age of eleven or twelve, whereas for boys it can start around fourteen. The purpose of puberty is to be able to reproduce, which is why boys will begin to generate sperm through hormone production, and girls will begin to release mature eggs through ovulation.
During puberty, the bodies of boys and girls will go through periods of rapid growth called growth spurts. There are many factors that can impact the amount of growth that happens. These factors include family genetics, socioeconomic status, and nutrition.
Growth Spurt
Remember how Larry has grown several inches in the past year? Linda, too, is growing taller. It seems like they are both getting bigger every single day!
Puberty is triggered by hormones. Among other things that hormones do, they cause people to get physically bigger. A growth spurt is a rapid increase in skeletal size. These sometimes seem to happen overnight, as adolescents get taller very quickly.
Larry and Linda have experienced growth spurts in the past year. They've both grown several inches and sometimes all at once. For example, Larry grew two inches taller over the last summer vacation from school.
There are many factors that can influence growth spurts. Genetics play a role, as do environmental factors. Nutrition, health care and socioeconomic status have all been linked to growth spurts. Children who are malnourished, for example, may not experience dramatic growth spurts the same way that those who have access to a well-balanced diet do.
Growth spurts and other changes in puberty can lead to body image issues. For example, after her most recent growth spurt, Linda is taller than every boy in her class. She feels embarrassed by this, and wishes she was petite like some of her friends. She's even started slumping down when she walks so that she doesn't look as tall as she is.
Biological Sex Differences
Though Larry and Linda are both going through adolescence, puberty struck them at different times. Linda has been having issues with acne and has been growing and developing physically for a couple of years now. For her, the physical changes of puberty started at around age 12.
Larry, on the other hand, didn't really start seeing massive changes until this year, at age 15. Until then, he was growing and changing more like a child does. Now, he's in puberty and all the complicated physical changes that that entails.
In general, girls and boys develop at different times. Like Linda and Larry, girls tend to start and end puberty several years before boys. In fact, studies have shown that some girls experience the onset of puberty as young as seven years old, though most girls don't enter puberty until between ages eleven and thirteen.
Boys, on the other hand, don't generally begin puberty until between ages 13 and 15. And, of course, some boys don't begin puberty until later than that!
And it's not just puberty. Remember that puberty involves physical development triggered by hormones that culminates in being able to reproduce. But adolescents continue to grow physically beyond puberty. That is, even after a girl gets her period, she continues to grow taller or more curvy, and even after a boy produces sperm, he continues to grow taller or more muscular.
These non-pubescent physical changes happen at different times as well. Girls usually finish growing by age 18 or 19, while boys often continue to grow into their early twenties. This is part of the reason why Linda is taller than the boys in her class. Eventually, most of them will catch up with her, but they are a couple of years behind her in physical development.
Lesson Summary
Adolescence is the period of life between childhood and adulthood. During this time, there are many changes that go on, including the physical development of puberty, which can trigger growth spurts. Girls and boys develop differently, with girls' physical development occurring several years before boys.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this lesson, you should be able to recognize the physical changes, like growth spurts, which take place during adolescence.
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Video Transcript
Adolescence and Puberty
Larry is at an awkward time in his life. He's 15 and has begun noticing some serious changes. He suddenly has problems with pimples, and he has hair growing in odd places. His voice sometimes cracks, and he's grown several inches in the last year alone!
Larry's not alone. His twin sister Linda is also going through changes. She, too, has pimples, and her body is growing softer and fuller in certain areas.
Larry and Linda are in adolescence, which is the transitional time between childhood and adulthood. Generally, adolescence is defined as between ages 13 and 20. During adolescence, children go through puberty, which is a period of about four years of physical development that ends when a person is able to reproduce. Notice that adolescence encompasses many different changes: physical, emotional, intellectual and social. But puberty is just the physical changes.
Let's look closer at some of the physical developments in adolescence and puberty, including growth spurts and differences in development at this stage of life.
Growth Spurt
Remember how Larry has grown several inches in the past year? Linda, too, is growing taller. It seems like they are both getting bigger every single day!
Puberty is triggered by hormones. Among other things that hormones do, they cause people to get physically bigger. A growth spurt is a rapid increase in skeletal size. These sometimes seem to happen overnight, as adolescents get taller very quickly.
Larry and Linda have experienced growth spurts in the past year. They've both grown several inches and sometimes all at once. For example, Larry grew two inches taller over the last summer vacation from school.
There are many factors that can influence growth spurts. Genetics play a role, as do environmental factors. Nutrition, health care and socioeconomic status have all been linked to growth spurts. Children who are malnourished, for example, may not experience dramatic growth spurts the same way that those who have access to a well-balanced diet do.
Growth spurts and other changes in puberty can lead to body image issues. For example, after her most recent growth spurt, Linda is taller than every boy in her class. She feels embarrassed by this, and wishes she was petite like some of her friends. She's even started slumping down when she walks so that she doesn't look as tall as she is.
Biological Sex Differences
Though Larry and Linda are both going through adolescence, puberty struck them at different times. Linda has been having issues with acne and has been growing and developing physically for a couple of years now. For her, the physical changes of puberty started at around age 12.
Larry, on the other hand, didn't really start seeing massive changes until this year, at age 15. Until then, he was growing and changing more like a child does. Now, he's in puberty and all the complicated physical changes that that entails.
In general, girls and boys develop at different times. Like Linda and Larry, girls tend to start and end puberty several years before boys. In fact, studies have shown that some girls experience the onset of puberty as young as seven years old, though most girls don't enter puberty until between ages eleven and thirteen.
Boys, on the other hand, don't generally begin puberty until between ages 13 and 15. And, of course, some boys don't begin puberty until later than that!
And it's not just puberty. Remember that puberty involves physical development triggered by hormones that culminates in being able to reproduce. But adolescents continue to grow physically beyond puberty. That is, even after a girl gets her period, she continues to grow taller or more curvy, and even after a boy produces sperm, he continues to grow taller or more muscular.
These non-pubescent physical changes happen at different times as well. Girls usually finish growing by age 18 or 19, while boys often continue to grow into their early twenties. This is part of the reason why Linda is taller than the boys in her class. Eventually, most of them will catch up with her, but they are a couple of years behind her in physical development.
Lesson Summary
Adolescence is the period of life between childhood and adulthood. During this time, there are many changes that go on, including the physical development of puberty, which can trigger growth spurts. Girls and boys develop differently, with girls' physical development occurring several years before boys.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this lesson, you should be able to recognize the physical changes, like growth spurts, which take place during adolescence.
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BackPhysical Development in Adolescence | Puberty, Growth Spurts & Sex Differences
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