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endocrine system
the system of the body that produces, circulates, and regulates hormones
hormones
highly specialized substances secreted by one or more endocrine glands
glands
organs that stimulate particular parts of the body to respond in specific ways to particular hormones
gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons
specialized neurons that are activated by certain pubertal hormones
set point
a physiological level or setting that the body attempts to maintain through a self-regulating system
feedback loop
a cycle through which two or more bodily functions respond to and regulate each other, such as that formed by the hypothalamus, the pituitary glands, and the gonads
pituitary gland
one of the chief glands responsible for regulating levels of hormones in the body
hypothalamus
a part of the brain that controls the functioning of the pituitary gland
gonads
the glands that secrete sex hormones: in males, the testes; in females, the ovaries
testes
the male gonads
ovaries
the female gonads
androgens
a class of sex hormones secreted by the gonads, found in both sexes but in higher levels among males than females following puberty
estrogens
a class of sex hormones secreted by the gonads, found in both sexes but in higher levels among females than males following puberty
adrenarche
the maturation of the adrenal glands that takes place during adolescence
cortisol
a hormone produced when a person is exposed to stress
kisspeptin
a brain chemical believed to trigger the onset of puberty
leptin
a protein produced by the fat cells that may play a role in the onset of puberty through its impact on kisspeptin (stimulates it)
melatonin
a hormone secreted by the brain that contributes to sleepiness and that triggers the onset of puberty through its impact on kisspeptin (suppresses it)
adolescent growth spurt
the dramatic increase in height and weight that occurs during puberty
epiphysis
the closing of the ends of the bones, which terminates growth after the adolescent growth spurt has been completed
secondary sex characteristics
the manifestations of sexual maturity at puberty, including the development of breasts, the growth of facial and body hair, and changes in the voice
tanner stages
a widely used system that describes the five stages of pubertal development
menarche
the time of first menstruation, one of the most important changes to occur among females during puberty
pheromones
a class of chemicals secreted by animals that stimulate certain behaviours in other members of the species
secular trend
the tendency, over the past two centuries, for individuals to be larger in stature and to reach puberty earlier, primarily because of improvements in health and nutrition
cross-sectional study
a study that compares two or more groups of individuals at one point in time
longitudinal study
a study that follows the same group of individuals over time
plasticity
the capacity of the brain to change in response to experience
delayed phase preference
a pattern of sleep characterized by later sleep and wake times, which usually emerges during puberty
basal metabolism rate
the minimal amount of energy used by the body during a resting rate
body mass index (BMI)
a measure of an individual's body fat, the ratio of weight to height; used to gauge overweight and obesity
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