iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.
iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.



Link to original content: http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2029881/
Physical changes of puberty - PubMed Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 1991 Mar;20(1):1-14.

Physical changes of puberty

M D Wheeler  1
Affiliations
  • PMID: 2029881
Review

Physical changes of puberty

M D Wheeler. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1991 Mar.

Abstract

Normal pubertal development is characterized by major physical alterations: sexual maturation, changes in body composition, and rapid skeletal growth. Breast development is the first manifestation of puberty in approximately 85% of girls; the normal age for initial breast development is 8 to 13 years. Menarche generally occurs within 2 years of the onset of breast development, with a mean age in American girls of 12.8 years. In boys, the first manifestation of puberty is testicular enlargement; the normal age for initial signs of puberty is 9 to 14 years in males. Pubic hair in boys generally appears 18 to 24 months after the onset of testicular growth and is often conceived as the initial marker of sexual maturation by male adolescents. Skeletal growth is one of the most striking characteristics of puberty. Linear-growth velocity begins to increase in males at genital stage III and pubic-hair stage II, but peak height velocity is not attained until age 14 years in boys and 12 years in girls. Lean body mass, which primarily reflects muscle mass, begins to increase during early puberty in both boys and girls. Fat mass increases during the late stages of puberty in girls. Sex differences in the adolescent growth spurt produce the characteristics sexual dimorphism in shape and proportions seen in young adults.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

LinkOut - more resources