CH 2: Puberty, Health and Biological Foundations

One reason that there are more similarities among siblings who are different ages is that twins have:

more shared environmental influences

____ are individual units of hereditary information that control the reproduction of cells and the assembly of proteins.

Sasha is aware that in the past few months her hips have become wider and her breasts have started to increase in size. These changes are due to

hormones

In males, the pituitary gland's production of ___ stimulates the testes to produce testosterone.

LH

When do the changes involved in adrenarche occur?

Before puberty begins

Gonadarche involves

the appearance of pubic hair

the maturation of ovaries in females

breast development

the maturation of testes in males

True or false: Menarche occurs in mid- to late gonadarche in girls

True

A boy's first ejaculation of semen is called____

spermarche

The growth spurt associated with puberty occurs, on average, ____ years earlier for girls than for boys

2

Shawna started puberty at age seven and had her first menstruation at eight-and-one-half years of age. Shawna's pubertal development is known as ____ puberty.

precocious

Today, young people reach puberty at earlier ages than in their grandparents' generation. This is known as a ___ trend.

secular

In a study looking at preconceptions of puberty for middle school girls and boys, boys said the best thing about being male was___.

playing sports

(Early/Late)-maturing girls are at a greater risk for mental health problems.

early

True or false: Puberty is another term for adolescence.

False

Savannah's breasts have begun to enlarge and pubic hair has appeared. Savannah is in

puberty

In recent years, scientists have begun to conduct ___ studies in an attempt to identify specific genes that are linked to the onset and progression of puberty

molecular genetic

True or false: The thyroid gland releases gonadotropins that stimulate the testes and ovaries.

False (it is the pituitary gland)

One study found that ___ predicted early onset of menarche.

severe child sexual abuse

precocious puberty is usually diagnosed when pubertal onset occurs before ___ years of age in girls and before ___ years of age in boys.

8;9

Recent research indicates that obesity ___ pubertal onset in boys.

delays

Early sexual feelings may be stimulated by___.

adrenarche

The very early onset and rapid progression of puberty is called

precocious puberty

Puberty is a period of rapid physical maturation that occurs primarily during

early adolescence

____ are the main class of male sex hormones.

androgens

The ___ is a structure in the higher portion of the brain that monitors eating, drinking, and sex.

hypothalamus

The ___ is the main structure of the brain that is involved in emotion.

amygdala

What are the leading causes of death in adolescents and emerging adults?

accidents

suicide

homicide

(Males/Females) ___ are mainly responsible for the higher mortality rate of emerging adults.

males

One concern about the eating habits of adolescents is their tendency to

eat between meals

A recent national study found that ___ were much more likely than ___ to engage in 60 minutes or more of vigorous exercise per day.

adolescent boys; adolescent girls

Research suggests that physical exercise in adolescence may

lower depression

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are the parents of a 4-year-old Ryder. They want to encourage Ryder to be physically fit through elementary school into adolescence. Which of the following strategies should you recommend?

Enroll Ryder in a sport

In one study, ___ support for physical activity was stronger predictor of adolescent physical activity than support from parents or siblings

peer/friend

Adolescent (boys/girls) ___ are more likely to participate in sports.

boys

According to recent statistics, ___ % of adolescents get inadequate sleep on school nights (less than 8 hours).

45

Testosterone is primarily secreted from the ___ in boys

testes

___ is primarily secreted from the ovaries in girls

Estradiol

Levels of sex hormones are regulated by which of the following hormones secreted by the pituitary gland

Luteinizing hormone

Follicle-stimulating hormone

Toward the end of puberty, growth hormone is secreted

at night and during the day

Some scientists have suggested that the onset of ___ is influenced by the percentage of body fat in relation to total body weight.

menarche

African American females enter puberty (earlier/later) ___ than latina and non-latina females

earlier

The growth spurt ends earlier for (boys/girls)___

girls

A girl's first menstruation occurs (early/late) ___ in the pubertal cycle

late

Which of the helps explain why researchers devote more attention to girls' pubertal development than that of boys?

Pubertal changes in girls are more obvious

Sarah's preoccupation with her body will be most acute in ___.

puberty

John and Thomas, who are male, and Allison and Paige, who are females, are all teenagers. Who will likely have a more favorable body image?

Thomas

John

Which of the following statements about puberty and adolescent adjustment is true?

The vast majority of adolescents cope with the stresses of puberty effectively

True or false: Risk taking tends to decrease in adolescence

False

Through interaction with the hypothalamus, the ___ gland detects when the optimal level of hormones has been reached and maintains it with additional gonadotrophin secretions

pituitary

In a study comparing adolescents in 28 countries, which of the following foods were U.S. and British adolescents most likely to eat?

Fried food

Throughout puberty, rising testosterone levels in boys are associated with which of the following?

voice changes

development of external genitals

an increase in height

Rising estradiol levels in girls contributes to which of the following?

uterine development

skeletal changes

breast development

Follicle development in females and sperm production in males is stimulated by ___ hormone

FSH

At the beginning of puberty, growth hormone is secreted___

at night

According to research findings on body fat and puberty, which of the following girls may not menstruate?

Leah, who is anorexic

According to research on sociocultural factors that contribute to pubertal timing, which of the following individuals is likely to reach puberty at the earliest age?

Desiree, who lives in a large urban city

Less research has been conducted on the psychosocial aspects of (male/female) ___ pubertal transitions

male

When looking at the effects of puberty within the context of the lifespan, they are (more/less) ___ dramatic than commonly thought

less

___ is primarily secreted from ovaries in girls

estradiol

The ___ secrete(s) a substance called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is linked to pubertal timing

hypothalamus

___, a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal cortex, influences growth

cortisol

Tara is classified as obese. Compared to her normal-weight peers, Tara will likely

experience an earlier onset of menarche

Lance has a poor diet and is underweight for his age. Compared to his normal-weight peers, Lance may experience

delayed puberty

Low-birth-weight boys are at risk for ___ during adolescence

small testicular volume

True or false: At the beginning of adolescence, boys tend to be taller than girls of their age

False

During adolescence, girls gain an average of ___pounds in one year whereas boys gain approximately ___ pounds

18; 20

Da'Vante has entered puberty. His parents notice that Da'Vante's shoulders have increased in size over the past few months. This change is due to increased

testosterone

In adolescence, boys' facial structure becomes

more angular

Place the following male pubertal characteristics in the oder in which they emerge

Increased penis and testice size

Appearance if straight pubic hair

Minor voice changes

First ejaculation

Appearance of kinky pubic hair

Onset of maximum growth

For boys, the pubertal sequence may begin as early as ___ years of age

10

According to cross-cultural research on secular trends in female puberty, which of the following girls would likely reach puberty at the earliest age?

Desiree, who is African American

Cross-cultural research indicates that boys are entering puberty (earlier/later) ___ than in previous generations

earlier

According to research on body image at various stages, who of the following would likely be the most preoccupied with his or her body?

Vincent, who is 13 years old

When the entire adolescence experience is taken into account, ___ as they move from the beginning to the end of adolescence

both boys' and girls' body images become more positive

In one study, the average age at which adolescents got their first tattoo was ___ years of age

14

Hormonal activity is influenced by many ___ factors, including parent-child relationships

environmental

In the Berkeley Longitudinal Study, when late-maturing boys were in their thirties, they

had developed a more positive identity than early-maturing boys

Maci entered puberty at age 10, whereas her cousin Jaiden didn't start puberty until age 14. Which girl is at greater risk for delinquency and early sexual activity

Maci

Reflecting on your knowledge of adolescence and puberty, indicate all of the following factors that help shape who we become

Biological

Social

Cognitive

Studies have shown that (higher/lower) ___ weight is linked to earlier pubertal development

higher

Mark and Mary are both at the very beginning of adolescence. ___ is likely to be taller than ___.

Mary

Mark

Which of the following occurs first in boys' pubertal development?

Increased penis and testicular size

Some studies indicate that tattoos and body piercings are markers for ___ behavior in adolescence, while other researchers argue they are used for self-expression.

risky

Zack is 14 and he eats a lot of snacks foods while spending hours watching television and playing video games. Which risks might Zack face in later years?

Heart disease

Anxiety and stress

Type 2 diabetes

What is the complex molecule, shaped like a spiral staircase, that contains genetic information?

DNA

Which field seeks to discover the influence of environment and heredity on individual differences in human development

Behavior genetics

What unit of heredity information is composed of short segments of DNA

Genes

Select all of the following activities that are likely to reduce adolescent risk taking

Raise the price of cigarettes

Increase the social capital of a community

Carefully monitor adolescents' behavior

As individuals we carry a specific ___ code we inherit from our parents

genetic

According to evolutionary conceptions of psychology, ___ ___ is a modification of behavior that promotes an organism's survival in the natural habitat

adaptive behavior

The evolutionary process by which the best- adapted individuals of a species survive and reproduce is called ___ selection

natural

____ psychology is a new approach to psychology that emphasizes the importance of adaptation, reproduction, and the survival of the fittest in shaping behavior

evolutionary

Which of the following statements is NOT an idea held by evolutionary developmental psychologists?

All evolved mechanisms are adaptive in contemporary society

___ are threadlike structures that come in 23 paris, with one member of each pari coming from each parent

Chromosomes

The Human ___ Project is the complete set of developmental instructions for creating proteins that initiate the making of a human organism

Genome

True or false: The Human Genome Project surprised scientists by proving that human beings have fewer genes than experts believed

True

Day length, and temperature are examples of ___ conditions that can affect the activity of genes

environmental

Behavior genetics is the field of study that seeks to discover how individual differences in human traits and development are influenced by

heredity and environment

In an adoption study, investigators seek to determine whether adopted children's characteristics are:

biological or environmental

Gilbert Gottlieb came up with the ___ view of development

epigenetic