What Sex Ed Doesn’t Tell You About Your Brain
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Understanding Puberty: More Than Just Physical Changes
Puberty is a significant phase in human development, often characterized by noticeable changes in the body. However, what often gets overlooked are the fascinating changes that happen in the brain during this period. Puberty is not just about the growth and maturation of your reproductive organs, it’s also about the transformation of your brain and the way you think, feel, and behave.
The Brain’s Role in Puberty
Puberty, in fact, begins in the brain. It is triggered when a region known as the hypothalamus releases waves of a specialized hormone, usually between the ages of 9 and 14. This maturation process is slow, and puberty can last as long as 4 to 5 years. During this extended process, the brain undergoes its own transformation, thanks to two of puberty’s key players—estrogen and testosterone.
How Hormones Affect the Brain
Produced in the developing testes and ovaries, these hormones travel to the brain via the bloodstream. Once there, they interact with receptors on neurons, changing the way the individual cells work and function by making them more or less excitable, altering their growth, or reshaping their connections. Cumulatively, this can change how you feel, think, and behave.
Emotional Behavior and Reward Centers
For example, hormones remodel and develop the limbic system, a collection of brain regions responsible for emotional behavior. Research in animal models suggests that the amygdala undergoes changes in size and connectivity during puberty. Its development allows you to better connect with your peers while priming your brain for learning and discovery. Likewise, puberty organizes and restructures the nucleus accumbens involved in reward and sensation-seeking. Activity in this dopamine hub is thought to drive the pleasurable sensations we feel when doing rewarding activities, like spending time with friends or having new experiences.
Emotional Regulation and Impulse Control
As these emotion and reward centers rapidly develop, their connections with higher cortical brain regions tend to do so on an extended timeline. These cortical regions, which help impose emotional regulation and impulse control, continue to grow well past puberty, into your 20s. While teens are often unfairly stereotyped as rash or impulsive, research reveals a more complex story. Teens are just as capable as adults of making thoughtful decisions when given the time and space. It’s only during high stress or in the heat of the moment that teens may find it more difficult to manage emotions.
The Power of Choice During Puberty
This lengthy cortical development allows adolescent brains to remain adaptable as they learn and grow in new situations, form their identities, and build the skill sets needed for adulthood. For all we know about the effects of puberty on the brain, there remain many unanswered questions. What sets off the initial puberty signal in the brain? Why is the average onset of puberty shifting earlier? And, while hormones may seem powerful, they may not be the full story. Experiences you have during adolescence may be just as influential as hormones in shaping and maturing the developing brain. So while all these physical and mental changes can make you feel as if puberty is in control, you have more power than you think. The everyday choices you make, from learning new skills to being a good friend, to setting boundaries, ultimately steer the path of who you are and will become.
Discussion Questions
- How does the understanding that puberty involves changes in the brain as well as the body change your perspective on this phase of development?
- What do you think about the idea that hormones can alter the way you feel, think, and behave during puberty?
- How do you think the changes in the limbic system and the nucleus accumbens during puberty might impact your emotional experiences and your desire for reward?
- Do you agree that teenagers are often unfairly stereotyped as impulsive and lacking emotional regulation? Why or why not?
- What do you think about the idea that the lengthy cortical development during puberty allows adolescents to remain adaptable and learn new skills?
- How do you think your experiences during adolescence might shape and mature your developing brain?
- Do you believe that hormones or experiences have a greater influence on shaping who you are and who you will become during puberty? Why?
- How does the knowledge that you have more power than you think in shaping your own identity and future impact the way you approach and navigate through puberty?
Lesson Vocabulary
puberty – the period of human development during which physical and sexual maturation occurs, typically between the ages of 10 and 14 – During puberty, teenagers experience significant changes in their bodies, such as the development of breasts in girls and the deepening of the voice in boys.
hypothalamus – a region of the brain located below the thalamus that plays a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions and releasing hormones – The hypothalamus controls hunger, thirst, body temperature, and the release of hormones involved in puberty.
hormone – a chemical substance produced by glands in the body that regulates various bodily functions and behaviors – Hormones such as estrogen and testosterone are responsible for the physical changes that occur during puberty.
estrogen – a group of hormones primarily responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics – Estrogen plays a key role in the development of breasts and the regulation of the menstrual cycle in females.
testosterone – the primary male sex hormone responsible for the development of the male reproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics – Testosterone is responsible for the deepening of the voice and the growth of facial hair in males during puberty.
limbic system – a group of brain structures involved in various functions, including emotion, behavior, motivation, and long-term memory – The limbic system includes the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus.
reward centers – areas of the brain that are associated with experiencing pleasure and reinforcing certain behaviors – The reward centers in the brain are activated when engaging in activities such as eating delicious food or receiving praise.
amygdala – a part of the brain involved in processing emotions, particularly fear and aggression – The amygdala plays a crucial role in the brain’s response to threatening or dangerous situations.
nucleus accumbens – a region of the brain involved in the brain’s reward and pleasure circuitry – The nucleus accumbens is activated when engaging in pleasurable activities such as eating, listening to music, or engaging in sexual behavior.
emotional regulation – the ability to manage and control one’s emotions – Emotional regulation allows individuals to respond to emotional stimuli in a healthy and appropriate manner.
impulse control – the ability to resist immediate impulses or urges and make thoughtful decisions – Developing impulse control is an important aspect of cognitive and emotional development during adolescence.
cortical brain regions – areas of the brain’s cortex responsible for higher-level cognitive functions, such as decision-making and problem-solving – Cortical brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, are involved in complex cognitive processes.
adolescence – the transitional period between childhood and adulthood, typically characterized by rapid physical, cognitive, and social changes – Adolescence is a time of self-discovery and exploration.
identity formation – the process of developing a sense of self and establishing one’s individuality and values – Identity formation during adolescence involves exploring personal interests, beliefs, and values.
puberty signal – a physical or hormonal change that indicates the onset of puberty – The growth of pubic hair is a common puberty signal in both boys and girls.
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- Categories: Biology, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Psychology, TED Ed, Video Lessons
- Keywords: adolescence, amygdala, cortical brain regions, emotional regulation, estrogen, hormone, hypothalamus, identity formation, impulse control, limbic system, nucleus accumbens, puberty, puberty signal, reward centers, testosterone
