Question 1

The term puberty denotes ____ specific types of changes that mark the transition from childhood to young adulthood.
A) ​two
B) ​three
C) ​four
D) ​six

Accepted Answer

The term puberty denotes two specific types of changes that mark the transition from childhood to young adulthood.

Question 2

Which statement is true?
A) ​Estrogen is found only in females, and androgens are found only in males.
B) ​Estrogen is found only in males, and androgens are found only in females.
C) ​During puberty, estrogen and androgens are released at the same levels in adolescent males and females.
D) ​During the early elementary school years, the pituitary gland releases androgens which initiates the growth of body hair.

Accepted Answer

Estrogen and androgens are found in both males and females, though in different concentrations. Estrogen plays key roles in both male and female bodies, just as androgens do. The statement about the pituitary gland releasing androgens during the early elementary school years, which initiates the growth of body hair, is accurate. This is part of the adrenarche process, which precedes the more commonly known puberty changes.

Question 3

Young Tiffany is just starting puberty, and there are several changes occurring in her body. Which of the following would be an example of change in a secondary sexual characteristic?
A) ​development of her ovaries
B) ​development of her breasts
C) ​development of her vagina
D) development of her uterus

Accepted Answer

The development of breasts is a secondary sexual characteristic that occurs during puberty. The development of ovaries, vagina, and uterus are part of the normal reproductive system and do not represent a change in puberty.

Question 4

During the peak of adolescence, a healthy girl may gain as much as ____ pounds in a year, while a healthy boy may gain ____ pounds.
A) ​5; 8
B) ​8; 10
C) ​10; 14
D) ​14; 16

Accepted Answer

During adolescence, girls can gain up to 14 pounds and boys up to 16 pounds in a year due to rapid growth and development.

Question 5

From whom would you expect the biggest gains in height and weight over the next three years?
A) ​Ginger, who is 2 years old
B) ​Grant, who is 6 years old
C) ​Tina, who is 11 years old
D) ​Louise, who is 14 years old

Accepted Answer

The answer of From whom would you expect the biggest...

Question 6

At about age ____, most boys reach spermarche, which is the first spontaneous ejaculation of sperm-laden fluid.
A) ​9
B) ​11
C) ​13
D) ​15

Accepted Answer

Spermarche typically occurs at around age 13, although it can occur anywhere from age 9 to 15.

Question 7

Which individual has just experienced menarche?
A) ​Mona, who has started developing breasts
B) ​Gaspar, who recently experienced his first ejaculation of semen
C) ​Lisa, who recently experienced her first menstrual cycle
D) ​Johnny, whose testicles have enlarged and descended

Accepted Answer

Menarche is the term used to describe a girl's first menstrual cycle. Therefore, Lisa, who recently experienced her first menstrual cycle, is the individual who just experienced menarche. The other options refer to the development of secondary sex characteristics in boys and girls.

Question 8

Why is it that the brain of an adolescent becomes capable of processing information more efficiently than the brain of a child?
A) ​Because the brain has grown to its adult size by the time puberty occurs
B) ​Because synaptic pruning and myelination are nearly complete by adolescence
C) ​Because not all of the cerebral lobes were "active" before puberty, but they are all working in adolescence
D) ​Because the corpus callosum atrophies and disappears during adolescence

Accepted Answer

Synaptic pruning, which is the process of eliminating unnecessary neuronal connections, and myelination, which is the process of developing a fatty coating around axons that speeds up neural transmission, are both largely complete by adolescence, allowing for more efficient processing of information.

Question 9

A typical girl starting her growth spurt is to ____ years of age, as a typical boy starting his growth spurt is to ____ years of age.
A) ​12; 10
B) ​11; 13
C) ​9; 12
D) ​13; 10

Accepted Answer

According to research, girls usually start their growth spurt around the age of 11, while boys start around the age of 13. Therefore, the best choice is B.

Question 10

Izzy is starting her pubertal growth spurt. Which body part do you think would start to grow the earliest?
A) ​her breasts
B) ​her hips
C) ​her arms
D) ​her hands

Accepted Answer

During the pubertal growth spurt, the extremities, such as hands and feet, are often the first to grow. This is followed by the arms and legs, and then the torso and shoulders.

Question 11

Social interactions between 11- and 12-year-old boys and girls may be awkward because
A) ​girls tend to do much better than boys in school at this age, and this becomes a source of endless teasing and torment.
B) ​girls form cliques and boys form crowds, and thus they really have nothing to talk about
C) ​they are not yet at the age where they have anything in common, and thus there is no real value in these social interactions.
D) ​the girls may be taller and look more mature than the boys, since their pubertal growth spurt begins earlier.

Accepted Answer

At around 11-12 years old, girls tend to begin their pubertal growth spurt earlier than boys, which means they may be taller and more physically mature than the boys around them. This can potentially create awkwardness in social interactions between the genders.

Question 12

The key player in the physical changes that are experienced as puberty begins is the
A) ​pituitary gland.
B) ​adrenal gland.
C) ​gonads (testes or ovaries).
D) ​thalamus.

Accepted Answer

The pituitary gland plays a crucial role in initiating puberty by releasing hormones that stimulate the gonads (testes in males and ovaries in females) to produce sex hormones. These hormonal changes lead to the physical developments characteristic of puberty.

Question 13

Which statement is the most accurate with regard to the timing of the onset of puberty in youngsters?
A) ​The timing of puberty is regulated by environmental forces, but these environmental forces are strongly influenced by genetics.
B) ​Puberty is something that is uniquely determined by environmental factors, and genetics play no part in when these changes emerge.
C) ​The timing of puberty is regulated in part by genetics, but these genetic forces are strongly influenced by environmental factors.
D) ​Puberty is something that is uniquely determined by genetics, and environmental influences play no part in when these changes emerge.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that puberty onset is partially influenced by genetics but can also be strongly influenced by environmental factors such as nutrition, stress, and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Therefore, choice C is the most accurate statement. Choices A and D are too extreme and do not consider the role of environmental factors. Choice B is incorrect as genetics play a significant role in determining the timing of puberty.

Question 14

Suzy has just begun her pubescent growth spurt, and her mother often says, "That girl is growing like a weed!" If Suzy's development is typical of most girls, she is probably about ____ years old.
A) ​9
B) ​11
C) ​13
D) ​15

Accepted Answer

The typical age for girls to begin their pubescent growth spurt is around 11 years old. This is a general average, as individual development can vary.

Question 15

____ refers to a collection of physical changes that marks the onset of adolescence, including changes height, weight and body composition, and transitions in sexual maturation.
A) ​Adolescence
B) ​Climacteric
C) ​Puberty
D) ​Menarche

Accepted Answer

Puberty refers to the physical changes that occur during adolescence, including changes in height, weight, body composition, and sexual maturation. The other options are not accurate; adolescence refers to the period of development between childhood and adulthood, climacteric refers to the transition to menopause in women, and menarche refers specifically to the first menstrual cycle in girls.

Question 16

Pubertal changes that are related to reproduction are to ____ as pubertal changes that are not directly linked to the reproductive organs are to ____.
A) ​adrenal maturatives; pituitary maturatives
B) ​primary sexual characteristics; secondary sexual characteristics
C) ​pituitary maturatives; adrenal maturatives
D) ​secondary sexual characteristics; primary sexual characteristics

Accepted Answer

Primary sexual characteristics are those directly related to the reproductive organs and functions, such as the development of the ovaries in females and the testes in males. Secondary sexual characteristics are features that distinguish the sexes but are not directly involved in reproduction, such as breast development in females and facial hair in males.

Question 17

Which of the following is an accurate differentiation between a young man's initial and later ejaculations?
A) ​Initial ejaculations contain relatively few sperm, while later ejaculations contain enough sperm to fertilize an egg.
B) ​Initial ejaculations only occur during sleep (nocturnal emissions) while later ejaculations can occur either while sleeping or awake.
C) ​Initial ejaculations contain no sperm cells, while later ejaculations (typically starting around 15 years of age) do contain sperm cells.
D) ​Initial ejaculations contain a high content of urine combined with semen, while later ejaculations are almost exclusively semen.

Accepted Answer

Initial ejaculations often contain fewer sperm or may even lack sperm entirely, as the reproductive system is still maturing. Over time, as the reproductive system fully develops, ejaculations will contain enough sperm to potentially fertilize an egg.

Question 18

Which statement is most accurate about the brain of a person who is in early adolescence?
A) ​It has finally developed all 12 lobes of the cerebrum.
B) ​It is experiencing accelerated synaptic pruning.
C) ​It has nearly reached its full size.
D) ​It is about half of its adult size.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which statement is most accurate about the...

Question 19

Which of the following chemicals, when released in the body, will initiate the biochemical changes that produce body hair?
A) ​phytogens
B) ​prolactins
C) ​androgens
D) ​estrogens

Accepted Answer

Androgens are male sex hormones that include testosterone, and they stimulate the growth of body hair in both sexes.

Question 20

During puberty, ____ increases more rapidly for girls than boys.
A) ​muscle development
B) ​heart capacity
C) ​lung capacity
D) ​body fat

Accepted Answer

During puberty, girls tend to experience a greater increase in body fat than boys due to hormonal changes and differences in body composition.

Quiz 8: Rites of Passage: Physical and Cognitive Development in Adolescence.

The term puberty denotes ____ specific types of changes that mark the transition from childhood to young adulthood.

Which statement is true?

Young Tiffany is just starting puberty, and there are several changes occurring in her body. Which of the following would be an example of change in a secondary sexual characteristic?

During the peak of adolescence, a healthy girl may gain as much as pounds in a year, while a healthy boy may gain pounds.

From whom would you expect the biggest gains in height and weight over the next three years?

At about age ____, most boys reach spermarche, which is the first spontaneous ejaculation of sperm-laden fluid.

Which individual has just experienced menarche?

Why is it that the brain of an adolescent becomes capable of processing information more efficiently than the brain of a child?

A typical girl starting her growth spurt is to years of age, as a typical boy starting his growth spurt is to years of age.

Izzy is starting her pubertal growth spurt. Which body part do you think would start to grow the earliest?

Social interactions between 11- and 12-year-old boys and girls may be awkward because

The key player in the physical changes that are experienced as puberty begins is the

Which statement is the most accurate with regard to the timing of the onset of puberty in youngsters?

Suzy has just begun her pubescent growth spurt, and her mother often says, "That girl is growing like a weed!" If Suzy's development is typical of most girls, she is probably about ____ years old.

____ refers to a collection of physical changes that marks the onset of adolescence, including changes height, weight and body composition, and transitions in sexual maturation.

Pubertal changes that are related to reproduction are to as pubertal changes that are not directly linked to the reproductive organs are to .

Which of the following is an accurate differentiation between a young man's initial and later ejaculations?

Which statement is most accurate about the brain of a person who is in early adolescence?

Which of the following chemicals, when released in the body, will initiate the biochemical changes that produce body hair?

During puberty, ____ increases more rapidly for girls than boys.