Thereafter, gonadotropins continue to increase throughout puberty, but important fluctuations are observed in relation to the menstrual cycle. Prolactin Serum prolactin concentrations increase modestly during female puberty but remain stable in boys. The physiological role of prolactin in the course of puberty, if any, is unknown. Adrenal Steroids Adrenal androgens vary from infancy through adolescence. This phenomenon is called adrenarche .
Adrenarche begins before the rise in gonadotropin secretion.
The rising levels of plasma gonadotropins stimulate the ovary to produce increasing amounts of estradiol. The maturation of the ovary at adolescence correlates well with estradiol secretion and the stages of puberty. During puberty, plasma estradiol levels fluctuate widely, probably reflecting successive waves of follicular development that fail to reach the ovulatory stage. Plasma testosterone levels also increase at puberty although not as markedly as in males. Plasma progesterone remains at low levels even if secondary sexual characteristics have appeared.