Part of “CHAPTER 91 – PHYSIOLOGY OF PUBERTY“

Puberty is the period of life from the first signs of sexual maturation until the final attainment of physical, mental, and emotional maturity. Numerous physical changes accompany the changes in the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis and occur in an orderly sequence over a definite time during normal puberty.

Puberty represents the final step in the process of maturation of the HPG axis (Table 91-1); this process begins in fetal life, with control centered in the central nervous system (CNS). Gonadotropin release is episodic in response to the periodic release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from cells within the hypothalamus.