Final answer:
Puberty is the period during which humans become sexually mature. It involves maturation of primary and secondary sex characteristics and a period of rapid body growth. The timing of puberty varies but follows a consistent sequence of changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Puberty is the period during which humans become sexually mature. Besides maturation of the primary sex organs (those involved directly in reproduction), secondary sex characteristics also emerge during puberty. Adolescents with a high level of testosterone in their blood develop masculine traits (such as facial hair), and adolescents with a high amount of estrogen in their blood develop feminine traits (such as breasts). In addition, there is a period of rapid body growth during puberty, which results in sexual dimorphism in adult body size, composition, and shape. When does puberty occur? The timing of puberty depends in part on biological sex, with puberty typically occurring earlier in the female sex than male sex. Besides biological sex, the timing of puberty is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Although there is considerable individual variation in the age of onset, duration, and tempo of the physical changes of puberty, the sequence of these changes is relatively consistent among individuals.