The role of reproductive hormones in puberty

• The endocrine system secretes hormones into the bloodstream from glands throughout the body
• Hormones produce an effect on specific target organs in the body
• Puberty is the stage in life when a child's body develops into an adult's body, usually between the ages of 10 and 16
• Chemical messengers produced in glands and carried by the blood to specific organs in the body include:

  • Testosterone: produced by the testes, controls the development of male secondary sexual characteristics
  • Oestrogen: produced by the ovaries, controls the development of female secondary sexual characteristics
• Secondary sexual characteristics that appear during puberty and were not present at birth include:

  • Boys only: voice breaks, pubic hair grows, voice deepens gradually, hair grows on face and body, underarm hair grows, hips get wider, body becomes more muscular, sexual organs grow and develop
  • Girls only: breasts develop, ovaries start to release egg cells leading to menstruation