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Puberty is the stage of life when a child becomes sexually mature. Puberty lasts from about 10 to 16 years of age in girls and from about 12 to 18 years of age in boys. In both girls and boys, puberty begins when the pituitary gland signals the gonads (ovaries or testes) to start secreting sex hormones (estrogen in girls, testosterone in boys). Sex hormones, in turn, cause many other changes to take place. - In girls, the uterus and ovaries grow. The ovaries start releasing eggs, and menstrual cycles begin. Pubic hair grows, the hips widen, and the breasts develop. - In boys, the penis and testes grow, and the testes to start producing sperm. Pubic and facial hair grow, the shoulders broaden, and the voice becomes deeper. Girls and boys of the same age are similar in height during childhood. In both girls and boys, growth in height and weight is very fast during puberty. But boys grow more quickly than girls do, and their period of rapid growth also lasts longer. In addition, boys generally start puberty later than girls, so they have a longer period of childhood growth. For all these reasons, by the end of puberty, the average height of boys is 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) greater than the average height of girls. Adolescence is the stage of life between the start of puberty and the beginning of adulthood. Adolescence begins with the physical changes of puberty. It also includes many other changes, including mental, emotional, and social changes. During adolescence, teens develop new thinking abilities and get better at problem solving. Teens also try to establish a sense of identity, become more independent from their parents, and spend more time with their peers.
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