Physical Development of

Adolescents
• Normal physical growth during
adolescence includes sexual maturation
and an increase in body size.

• The timing and speed with which these

changes occur vary and are affected by
both heredity and environment.

play
e
ors
H
• During adolescence, most boys and girls
reach adult height and weight, although
there is considerable variation in when this
occurs.

d
foo
 d
oo
Mo
r e f
Body Make-up
o Boys
o Bones and muscles grow, and strength increases.
o Fat is lost in some parts of the body, such as the arms and legs.
o Broad shoulders may develop.
o Body odor becomes adult-like and acne(pimples) may appear.
Their voice deepens and hair begins to grow on the face, pubic
area, underarms, and other parts of the body.
 g s
Hu

o Girls
o Girls’ bodies develop with wider hips and smaller waistlines.
o Their body odor and voice change.
o Pubic and underarm hair starts to appear and grow.
o They may also get acne.
 Sexual Growth
Roug
h hous
eing
o Boys
o Hair develops in the pubic area. increases in amount,
and becomes darker, thicker, and curlier.
o The genitals begin to enlarge.
o At about 13 years of age, boys may start making
sperm.

Fo
o Girls od

o Breasts begin to develop.

o They usually start menstruating.
 Height
o Boys
o Boys grow about 4 inches per year during this time frame.
o On average, boys grow about 11 inches in their height
during this time frame.

o Girls
o Girls are usually two years ahead of boys in height.
o They increase in height the fastest at age 12, growing 3 and
one-half inches per year.
o Girls grow about 10 inches during this time frame.
 Weight
• Boys
o Increase in weight is around 20 pounds per year.
o Weight gained during this time frame is about 50
percent of an adult's body weight.

o Girls
o Weight starts to increase fastest about six months
after a girl reaches her full height.
o Girls gain about 18 pounds per year.
 Milestones in Sexual Development

During puberty, sexual development usually occurs in a set sequence.

The tempo of change varies from person to person but occurs within a
range of ages, indicated by a box in the diagram. The average age at
which a change begins is indicated by a dot.
 References
• Crawford, Linda and Scott, Guidelines for
Responsive Designs for Middle Schools,
Minneapolis, MN, 2006.
• Knowles, Trudy and Dave Brown, Tyink,What
Every Middle School Teacher Should Know,
Portsmouth, NH: Heineman, 2000.
• www.merck.com
 Presented by:

Chie Yamamoto
Nicole Lanni
Laurie Lefebvre
Rochelle Michelatti
Victoria Talbert