PSYC 3480 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Menarche, Ovulation, Hypothalamus
17 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Most girls enter puberty between ages 9-13 and have their first menarche at age 12. Black and latina girls get it earlier than european american girls however. Asian american girls get it later then european american girls. Women"s reactions vary widely in response to their first menarche young girls who have someone to talk to are more positive about the experience. Around 10-11, girls begin to experience secondary sex characteristics change breasts and pubic hair sexual characteristics not involved in reproduction directly. Women accumulate body fat in the hips and thighs often resented because of negative cultural attitudes with body fat. Hypothalamus monitors estrogen levels in the body low estrogen makes hypothalamus signal pituitary gland pituitary gland produces both follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Fsh acts on eggs to produce more estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen produced in the ovaries helps promote the production of the uterine lining or endometrium. Progesterone also produced in the ovaries, monitors this system.
