Which hormone initiates puberty

A boy's testicles will start secreting testosterone. Once these sex hormones are coursing through the body, all kinds of changes will take place. They will take a child on a rollercoaster ride to adulthood. At the end of it they will have started their periods or had their first erection. They will have pubic hair , deeper voices and some spots.

It is a time when a child will experience total loss of control over their body. They have no way of telling when puberty will happen, or how long it will last.

Scientists still don't know what triggers the trigger. In other words - what causes the hypothalamus to start releasing the hormone that switches on puberty? It involves the nervous system and hormones. But social and psychological factors as well as eating habits are also likely to play a role. There are still eggs and potential follicles on the ovaries, but without the stimulation of FSH and LH, they will not produce a viable egg to be released.

The outcome of this is the inability to have children. Various symptoms are associated with menopause, including hot flashes, heavy sweating, headaches, some hair loss, muscle pain, vaginal dryness, insomnia, depression, weight gain, and mood swings. Estrogen is involved in calcium metabolism and, without it, blood levels of calcium decrease. To replenish the blood, calcium is lost from bone, which may decrease the bone density and lead to osteoporosis.

Supplementation of estrogen in the form of hormone replacement therapy HRT can prevent bone loss, but the therapy can have negative side effects, such as an increased risk of stroke or heart attack, blood clots, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, gall bladder disease, and, possibly, dementia.

Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Animal Reproduction and Development. Search for:. Hormonal Control of Human Reproduction. Male Hormones The onset of puberty is controlled by two major hormones: FSH initiates spermatogenesis and LH signals the release of testosterone. Learning Objectives Explain the function of male hormones in reproduction. FSH causes the Sertoli cells of the testes which help nurse developing sperm cells to begin the process of spermatogenesis in the testes.

LH triggers the production of testosterone from the Leydig cells of the testis; testosterone causes the development of secondary sex characteristics in the male.

As spermatogenesis and testosterone production increase, the Sertoli cells produce inhibin, which, together with rising levels of testosterone, inhibit the release of FSH and LH from the pituitary gland.

Female Hormones The stages of the ovarian cycle in the female are regulated by hormones secreted by the hypothalamus, pituitary, and the ovaries. Learning Objectives Explain the function of female hormones in reproduction. In other cases, the delay in puberty is not just due to slow maturation but occurs because the child has a long-term medical condition known as hypogonadism pronounced HI-poe-GO-nad-iz-uhm , in which the sex glands the testes in men and the ovaries in women produce few or no hormones.

Hypogonadism can be divided into two categories: secondary hypogonadism and primary hypogonadism. Normal Puberty Puberty is the body's natural process of sexual maturation.

Central Precocious Puberty This type of early puberty, also known as gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty, occurs when the abnormality is located in the brain.

The brain signals the pituitary gland to begin puberty at an early age. Central precocious puberty is the most common form of precocious puberty and affects many more girls than boys. The causes of central precocious puberty include: Brain tumors Prior radiation to the brain Prior infection of the brain Other brain abnormalities Peripheral Precocious Puberty This form of early puberty is also called gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty.

In peripheral precocious puberty, the abnormality is not in the brain but in the testicles, ovaries, or adrenal glands, causing overproduction of sex hormones, like testosterone and estrogens. During puberty, you might feel confused or have strong emotions that you've never experienced before. You may feel anxious about how your changing body looks. You might feel overly sensitive or become easily upset.

Some teens lose their tempers more than usual and get angry at their friends or families. Sometimes it can be difficult to deal with all of these new emotions. Usually people aren't trying to hurt your feelings or upset you on purpose. It might not be your family or friends making you angry — it might be your new "puberty brain" trying to adjust. And while the adjustment can feel difficult in the beginning, it will gradually become easier.

It can help to talk to someone and share the burden of how you're feeling — a friend or, even better, a parent, older sibling, or adult who's gone through it all before. You might have new, confusing feelings about sex — and lot of questions. The adult hormones estrogen and testosterone are signals that your body is giving you new responsibilities, like the ability to create a child.

That's why it's important to get all your questions answered. It's easy to feel embarrassed or anxious when talking about sex, but you need to be sure you have all the right information. Some teens can talk to their parents about sex and get all their questions answered. But if you feel funny talking to your parents about sex, there are many other people to talk to, like your doctor , a school nurse, a teacher, a school counselor, or another adult you feel comfortable talking with.

People are all a little different from one another, so it makes sense that they don't all develop in the same way. No two people are at exactly the same stage as they go through puberty, and everyone changes at his or her own pace. Some of your friends may be getting curves, whereas you don't have any yet. Maybe your best friend's voice has changed, and you think you still sound like a kid with a high, squeaky voice.

Or maybe you're sick of being the tallest girl in your class or the only boy who has to shave. But eventually everyone catches up, and the differences between you and your friends will even out. It's also good to keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to look. That's what makes us human — we all have qualities that make us unique, on the inside and the outside. Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.

Time to Change When your body reaches a certain age, your brain releases a special hormone that starts the changes of puberty. It's Just a Growth Spurt "Spurt" is the word used to describe a short burst of activity, something that happens in a hurry.

Taking Shape As your body grows taller, it will change in other ways, too.