Babies require many years of development before they themselves are able to reproduce. Puberty Puberty refers to the changes that take place in boys and girls to bring about sexual maturity. A biological clock, located inside the brain, decides when the body is ready for these changes to begin and then stimulates the release of chemical signals, called sex hormones, to cause the developments that turn boys into men and girls into women. At this stage, boys and girls become more interested in each other. All of the developments that take place during puberty are known as secondary sexual characteristics.
Hormones are powerful chemicals that control or influence particular functions of the body.
They are required in very small quantities and are carried in the blood from the glands that produce them to where they have an effect. During puberty, sex hormones cause major changes to take place in the appear-ance and functioning of the body. The changes that occur at puberty are a normal part of growing up, although it is not unusual for young people to feel self-conscious and insecure as they develop adult characteristics. An adolescent may experience rapid changes in mood, along with feelings of insecurity and uncertainty, but these emotional happenings are all part of the process of growing up. Adolescents should understand what is happening to their bodies.