Puberty: outside and inside

The idea

Puberty is the stage in which an adolescent's body undergoes external and internal changes, including maturation of the parts involved in reproduction, to become an adult capable of reproduction; secondary sexual characteristics mark its onset.

What we can see

Venkatesh has a thin moustache and Devyani's voice has changed. You can see these changes in an adolescent.

What else do you think is going on in their bodies?

• Nothing else; only the changes we can see
• Other changes, inside, that we cannot see
• Only changes inside, none on the outside

From child to adult

Slide time from child to adult. Watch the outside lane. Then tap Look inside.

Puberty

Puberty is the stage in which an adolescent's body goes through external and internal changes, including the maturation of the parts involved in reproduction, to become an adult capable of reproduction. The secondary sexual characteristics mark its onset.

Both boys and girls go through these changes gradually. They are a natural part of growing up, and natural signs that the body is preparing for adulthood.

• Kind of change | What it means
• Outside (external) | we can see it, like the secondary sexual characteristics
• Inside (internal) | we cannot see it, like the maturing of the parts involved in reproduction

Notes

Puberty is the stage of external and internal changes, including the maturation of the parts involved in reproduction, that turn an adolescent into an adult capable of reproduction. Secondary sexual characteristics mark its onset.

Check yourself

What marks the onset of puberty?

Which of these is an internal change of puberty?

Puberty has outside changes and inside changes. How many of these two kinds can we see from outside?

Answer: 1

One: the outside changes. The inside changes cannot be seen, but they go on all the time.

What does the body become by the end of puberty?

• Becoming an adult capable of reproduction. That is where puberty leads: the end, not the start.
• The parts inside the body maturing. Those changes cannot be seen. The secondary sexual characteristics mark the onset.
• The secondary sexual characteristics — correct. Yes! They are the visible signs that puberty has begun.
• Parts involved in reproduction mature — correct. Yes! It happens inside, where we cannot see it.
• A moustache and a beard start to grow. We can see this from outside, so it is an external change.
• Development of breasts in girls. We can see this from outside, so it is an external change.
• A child who has not changed at all. Puberty changes the body a great deal.
• An adult capable of reproduction — correct. Yes! That is what puberty prepares the body for.
• A person in the stage of old age. Old age is a much later stage of life.