To fully understand the impact that puberty has on the lives of adolescents, it's essential to know about earlier phases of growth and development. All children grow in similar ways, following the same stages of development in approximately the same order. Each step builds on earlier learning and development. All of these areas interact, so that changes or setbacks in one area may affect the progress of others. An individual's heredity and environment also influence development.
People develop continually throughout life.
From Boys to Men and Girls to Women During childhood, physical growth consists mainly of changes in height and weight. Puberty occurs between the ages of 9 and 16 in girls and 10 and 17 in boys. This stage is considered complete with the maturation of the reproductive organs. The onset of puberty is triggered by the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that controls the function of the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus signals the pituitary gland to secrete higher levels of two hormones into the bloodstream.