Question

Justify the statement that ""adolescence is both biological and social in nature.""

Answer 1

Adolescence is one of the most fascinating and complex transitions in the life span. Its breathtaking pace of growth and change is second only to that of infancy. Biological processes drive many aspects of this growth and development, with the onset of puberty marking the passage from childhood to adolescence. Puberty is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood, during which a growth spurt occurs, secondary sexual characteristics appear, fertility is achieved, and profound psychological changes take place.

Although the sequence of pubertal changes is relatively predictable, their timing is extremely variable. The normal range of onset is ages 8 to 14 in females and ages 9 to 15 in males, with girls generally experiencing physiological growth characteristic of the onset of puberty two years before boys. Pubertal maturation is controlled largely by complex interactions among the brain, the pituitary gland, and the gonads, which in turn interact with environment (i.e., the social, cultural, and ambient environment). A relatively new area of research related to puberty is that of brain development. Evidence now suggests that brain growth continues into adolescence, including the proliferation of the support cells, which nourish the neurons, and myelination, which permits faster neural processing. These changes in the brain are likely to stimulate cognitive growth and development, including the capacity for abstract reasoning.