This site is designed to support and expand the Hillendale Health Curriculum.
	Learning about how your body grows and develops and how to take care of your body is an important part of Hillendale Health class. Our growth and development unit focuses on the changes that occur during adolescence and puberty. The following pages contain Important information about puberty and adolescence.

What other changes are there for boys? As your body grows taller, it will be changing in other ways, too. You will gain weight, and as your body becomes heavier, you'll start to notice changes in its overall shape. Boys' shoulders will grow wider, and their bodies will become more muscular. Their voices will become deeper. They will notice other changes, too, like the lengthening and widening of the penis and the enlargement of the testes. The penis and testes are part of the male reproductive system. All of these changes mean that their bodies are developing as expected during puberty. Visit the male reproductive system section of the Hillendale site for more information on the changes that take in a boy's body changing it into a man's body. Why does your voice change? Testosterone and estrogen are part of a category of hormones called sex hormones. As sex hormones are released, they directly affect a boy's (or girl's) body. For boys, this includes growing taller and more muscular and developing hair under the arms and on the face and pubic area. During puberty, a boy's penis and testicles also mature. Sex hormones also affect when a boy's voice changes during puberty. During puberty, the sex hormone testosterone tells the larynx (lar-inks) - or voice box - to get larger and the vocal cords to get longer. The larger the size of the larynx, the deeper the voice. As the larynx starts to grow in boys, it pushes the Adam's apple forward. That's why you can see the Adam's apple in most grown men but not in women or kids! What other changes are there for girls? Girls' bodies usually become curvier. They gain weight on their hips, and their breasts develop. With all this growing and developing going on, girls will notice an increase in body fat - and that's normal. Gaining some weight is part of developing into a woman, and it's unhealthy for girls to go on a diet to try to stop this normal weight gain. An increase in weight and body fat is an important and normal part of growing up for girls. If you ever have questions or concerns about your weight, talk it over with your parents, teacher or doctor. Usually about 1 1/2 to 2 years after girls' breasts start to develop, they experience their first menstrual period - one more thing that lets them know puberty is progressing. It means that the puberty hormones have been doing their job. All of these changes mean that the inside and outside of their bodies are developing as expected during puberty. Visit the female reproductive system section of the Hillendale site for more information on the changes that take place inside of a girls body during puberty. Table of Contents Puberty | Contents | Glossary | Phys Ed | Health | Site Map | HES Index | Being Born Male Reproductive System | Female Reproductive System | Review