• Question: what happens through pubety ;)

    Asked by benjx09 to Amy, Craig, Laura, Partha, Saffron on 17 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Laura Wales

      Laura Wales answered on 17 Jun 2015:

      LOTS of changes!!!

      The hypothalamus activates a hormone called Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH). GnRH sends a signal to the pituitary gland to release Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinising Hormone (LH). FSH and LH travel in the bloodstream to the ovaries in girls and to the testes in boys and “switch on” the development process leading to sexual maturity.

      In girls, the ovaries release oestrogen and progesterone. In boys, the testes release testosterone. These sex hormones cause loads of changes – girls will start their period and grow breasts; boys will have their first erection and notice their voice getting deeper. Oh, and the pubic hair and spots come too.

    • Photo: Saffron Whitehead

      Saffron Whitehead answered on 19 Jun 2015:

      Just to add to Laura’s excellent answer.
      One of the biggest and as yet unanswered questions in endocrinology (the study of hormones) is just what starts the increase in GnRH which initiates puberty. We don’t know but it happens at different times in people. Some people say it is to do with the amount of body fat, others a genetic imprinting.
      Interestingly if people get very thin (anorexics) or lose a lot of body fat (athletes) then their GnRH secretions go back down towards perpubertal levels and they stop menstruating.

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