HLTH 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Tanner Scale, Pubic Hair, Pituitary Adenoma

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Health Studies
• Course: HLTH 210
• Professor: Diane Williams

Document Summary

Adrenarche: increased secretion of androgens, occurs a few years before the onset of puberty, androgens are converted to estrogen and testosterone, stimulates growth of armpit hair, body odour, pubic hair and acne. Thelarche: start of breast bud development, usually occurs around age 11. Androgens: stimulate longitudinal growth, converted to estrogen by aromatase enzyme, bone growth mediated by estradiol. Precocious puberty: onset of puberty before age 8 in females, or before age 9 in males. Central causes: hypothalamus or pituitary lesions, tumours, infections or damage. Peripheral causes: sex steroids from abnormal source, adrenal or gonadal tumours, environmental sources (bpa etc) Female puberty: normally begins around 10. 5 years old, tanner stage 2 (thelarche), pubic hair and breasts develop, menarche occurs 2-2. 5 years after thelarche, growth in height, black and obese girls start puberty earlier (fat stores estrogen) Male puberty: normally occurs around 12 years old, tanner stage 2, testes enlarge and scrotum reddens, occurs around 12 years old.