Question

Describe the physical changes both boys and girls go through during puberty. How does the increase in hormone production affect them? Physically, teenagers are sexually mature, however, are often not cognitive, socially, or emotionally ready for sex. One reason is brain development. Describe how frontal lobe development in the brain compares to hormone production. How might the delay of the frontal lobe development affect a teenager’s decisions about sex? Could it lead to risky decision making?

Answer 1

MALE CHANGES DURING PUBERTY--Physical changes takes place during maturity in boys at the age of 13 years when the release of gonadotropins takes place from the brain. Hypothalamus secretes gonadotropin releasing hormone. This acts on the testes to secrete the male hormone testosterone and androgen binding protein. The changes in the physical characteristics include;

• Formation and growth of hairs on the body.
• increase in the size of the male reproductive organs like penis, s'crotum and testis.
• voice cracking and heaviness in males.
• acne develops due to the secretion of sebum from the sebaceous glands.
• the growth and development of muscle mass in the body.
• testosterone stimulates the production of red blood cells.

FEMALE CHANGES DURING PUBERTY.

It occurs after the secretion of estrogen, progesterone, follice stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone. Puberty is marked by physical changes in the body of the female like:

• Breast development.
• growth of hair under the arms and in the leg regions.
• menstruation or the shedding of the egg in the ovary.
• estrogen stimulates the growth of the ovaries, fallopian tubes, fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina.

Frontal lobe is involved in locomotion, movement, coordination,language, initiation, judgement and sexual behavior. It is involved in the synthesis of the myelin sheath in the brain neurosn which conduct impulses from the spinal cord to the brain region. Gamma amino butyric acid is secreted from the neurons in the frontal cortex region of the brain. During onset of puberty, the estrogen and progesterone hormone bind to the receptors present in the limbic system in the brain. It activates the signaling in the amygdala region leading to the activation of sex potential and sex drive. Limbic system consists of hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala. These hormones enhance the corticocortical and subcorticocortical activation of signals and functional networks in the brain region whereas adrogens decrease the subcorticocortical functional connectivity and increases the cortical connectivity in the brain region. High levels of gonadotropins increases the secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone from the neurons in the brain.

Teenagers have less white matter in the prefrontal lobe as compared to the adults and growth of myeline increases throughout in the brain. The development of the prefrontal complex regions is not complete in an individual until the age of 25 years. The increase in the formation of myelin increases the conduction of impulses across the neurons in the brain. Development process occurs from back to the front region. During adolescent stage the white matter increases in the corpus callosum region of the brain.This affects the sex drive in adolescence as compared to the adult stage in life. It can lead to risky decisions in the life of teenagers due to hasty rash decisions in life.