Definition of Puberty
Our Puberty Main Article provides a comprehensive look at the who, what, when and how of Puberty
Puberty: A complex biologic and psychologic process involving sexual development, accelerated growth, and adrenal maturation heralded by the secretion of
gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) from a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This event is the first known step in the reproductive cascade. It initiates the pulsatile release of gonadotropins, gonadal secretion of sex steroids, pubertal development, and gametogenesis (the production of sperm and ova).
The word puberty derives from the Latin
pubertas: coming to the age of manhood.
Common Misspellings: purberty
Back to medical dictionary A-Z List