PS276 Chapter 1: THE TIMING AND TEMPO OF PUBERTY
Document Summary
Onset of puberty can be as early as 7 in girls/9 1/2 in boys, or as late as 13 in girls/13 1/2 in boys. In girls interval b/w first sign of puberty and complete physical maturation can be as short as a year and a half or as long as six years. In boys, this interval can be 2-5 years. No relation between age at which puberty begins and rate at which it proceeds. Late maturers on average are taller as adults. Black females mature earlier than mexican american girls who in turn mature earlier than white girls. Differences in timing/rate of puberty among individuals in same general environment result chiefly from genetic factors. Specific region on chromosome 6 has been identified as one of markers for pubertal timing. Predisposition to develop at certain rate and time are an upper and lower age limit, not a fixed absolute. Whether their genetic predisposition is realized depends on external factors.
