So you're starting to get hair in weird places, and that cute girl at school is starting to
make you feel very uncomfortable in one of those same weird places.
No need to freak out- you're just going through puberty.
But what exactly happens to your body as you enter this troublesome stage of development,
and how can you be sure you're finally entering puberty?
That’s what we’ll find out today, in this episode of The Infographics Show, How do you
know you’re going through puberty?
Puberty is the natural development of an animal from adolescent youth to sexual adult.
Most animals take just a few years to go from birth to sexual maturity, with the African
Killifish being the fastest maturing vertebrate at an incredible two weeks- we're betting
those of you waking up every morning to fresh zits would kill for it all to be over in just
two weeks.
In nature maturity is a balancing act for each species, a longer adolescence allows
for greater brain development and advanced learning techniques, but it also puts a species
at serious risk of extinction as being a child in the wild can be extremely dangerous.
That is why animals with the longest maturity rates tend to be pack animals, and among the
most intelligent in the natural kingdom.
Dolphins and sperm whales for example typically take 7-13 years to reach adulthood, and are
some of the most intelligent animals in the world.
Long ago humans made that same trade off, accepting the risk of predation and possible
extinction for the payoff of increased intelligence.
Turns out this was a winning bet for mother nature, even if it means some of you right
now probably wish mother nature had taken a different path.
Don't worry- it'll pass and one day zits and awkward feelings around the opposite gender
will be a thing of the past.
Well, maybe just the zits.
So what exactly happens to your body as you go through puberty?
Males and females vary, with females typically reaching sexual maturity sooner.
This is again an evolutionary quirk, as a younger female is typically healthier and
has a greater chance at successfully bearing children.
For girls, breasts will start to develop around 10 to 11 years of age and is often the first
outward sign of puberty.
It's not uncommon for breasts to develop at different rates however, and though they may
never become perfectly symmetrical they will eventually reach close symmetry- so if you're
currently in the midst of your own changes, no need to worry.
Girls will also typically have their biggest growth spurt at this time, growing anywhere
from 5 to 20 centimeters.
The head, face and hands typically grow a bit faster than the limbs and you might feel
out of proportion for a while, but again this is temporary and the rest of your body will
catch up.
A girl's body will also begin to change shape, with the hips widening as the body prepares
for the act of carrying and bearing children.
Pubic hair will also start to grow, getting darker and thicker over time.
At ages 12-14, or about two years after breast development begins, girls will experience
hair growing underneath the arm pits.
Social taboos aside, this is perfectly natural and something men nor women paid any attention
to until the development of the razor blade.
Periods will also begin, but will be preceded by a clear or whitish discharge from the vagina
for several months before they actually start.
While this is again perfectly natural, any itching, pain, discomfort or strong odor should
be checked with a doctor.
When they eventually arrive, periods will occur every month- this is the body shedding
the lining of the uterus.
In anticipation of fertilization, the female body produces an egg every month along with
sensitive and blood-rich tissue to help it grow.
If an egg goes unfertilized, the body disposes of this unneeded tissue, leading to the monthly
period.
Periods may be irregular at first, but eventually the body will settle into a rhythm.
Boys develop a bit later and slower than girls, once more due to evolution.
Males simply aren't as critical to the role of survival as females, whom carry and care
for the baby, and in the wild males typically require a bit longer time than females to
develop stronger bodies or the specialized appendages used in courtship such as a male
bird's display feathers.
Between ages of 11 and 13 though, boys begin to enter maturity marked with a sudden growth
spurt of the genitals.
Typically the testis will grow faster than the penis, and just like breasts may grow
at different rates and end up slightly asymmetrical.
Along with genital growth, pubic hair will also begin to appear, growing darker and thicker
over time.
At ages 12-14 males will also hit their largest growth spurt, gaining an average of 10-30
centimeters in height.
Males typically grow taller than females, and their chest and shoulders grow broader.
Just like girls though, the head, face and hands might grow faster than the limbs or
torso, but the rest of the body will eventually catch up.
At about ages 18-20, males stop growing altogether.
Rarely males can see some breast development during puberty.
This is called Gynecomastia, and is a result of a hormone imbalance that's typically temporary.
Male bodies are prompted through their specific changes via androgens which help develop male
physical traits.
However all males have some level of estrogen in their bodies, and during puberty the balance
may be enough out of whack that some males might see slight breast growth.
As the body develops though the hormonal balance is corrected and that breast growth is reversed.
Surprisingly just about half of all males develop gynecomastia in one or both breasts,
but it is overwhelmingly temporary.
For those that it isn't however, surgical removal of excess breast tissue is always
an option.
At around ages 13-15 boys will start to see a lot of hair growth across the face, chest
and under the arms.
Leg and arm hair grows thicker and darker, and hair may continue to expand across the
body into the early 20s.
The testicles begin producing more testosterone which prompts the creation of sperm.
This leads to the start of random erections- a perfectly natural, if very awkward phenomenon-
which can occur for no reason at all and sometimes needs no sexual prompting.
Males may also start experiencing random ejaculations, specially during sleep and commonly known
as wet dreams.
At around 14-15, the larynx- or Adam's apple- becomes more pronounced and obvious, and as
it grows a male's voice will often 'break' and squeak.
This can be mortifyingly embarrassing, but is a natural part of puberty and the voice
will eventually become deeper.
As they grow, both males and females will start to become more fiercely independent
and rebellious- once more just a natural part of evolution, and is typically more pronounced
in males than in females.
In the wild most animals are solitary, but even for pack animals like lions and elephants
males are typically forced out of the pack, or choose to leave on their own, though the
females remain behind.
This is likely because females have stronger nurturing instincts and can take care of other
young in the pack while learning how to take care of their own young one day.
By forcing males away, or them choosing to leave, it also ensures that the male will
find another group to find a mate in and helps prevent inbreeding.
Puberty is a terrifying, awkward, and sometimes difficult time for boys and girls, but thankfully
it'll all be over one day.
It might seem unfair now, but the ultimate trade off is the development of more advanced
brains and greater learning potential.
All those years of zits and awkward boners have helped the human animal become the very
top of the food chain.
So, do you have any embarrassing puberty stories?
Let us know in the comments.
Also, be sure to check out our other video called What Happens to your body while your
having sex.
Thanks for watching, and as always, don’t forget to like, Share, and Subscribe.
See you next time!