We all go through it, but what is adolescence really?

The Netflix mini-series Adolescence explores the social influences on 13-year-old Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper) when he is accused of killing his classmate Katie Leonard. — Handout

The Netflix mini-series Adolescence is very interesting. So many emotions go through the young kids at that age. What age would be considered adolescence? Thirteen or 14 years of age?

Actually, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines ­adolescence to be anyone from the ages of 10 to 19.

A young person is defined as anyone from the ages of 10 to 24.

Adolescence is considered a period of transition between childhood and adulthood.

It is a particularly important period because there are many changes in the child’s body and brains.

Adolescents can go through many physical, social, psychological, cognitive and intellectual issues.

It is also considered a time when they develop their own ethics and morals, as well as identities – some better than others.

Adolescents also start to become more independent from their parents.

Some adolescents and parents find this period very trying!

What physical changes do adolescents go through? I barely remember those years in my own teenage years, except that I grew very tall suddenly.

Adolescents go through puberty.

If you are an adult now, you may remember going through it yourself.

During puberty, the hypothalamus in your brain releases a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in pulses.

GnRH then stimulates your pituitary gland, which is connected to your hypothalamus, to release the luteinising hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

LH and FSH act on different organs depending on whether you are male or female.

In girls, LH and FSH stimulate the ovaries to produce oestrogen, the female sex hormone.

This causes your breasts to develop, widens your hips and starts the menstruation cycle.

For girls, breasts and pubic hair develop first.

Two years or so later, they will begin to menstruate for the first time.

In boys, LH and FSH act on the testicles to produce testosterone, the male sex hormone.

This results in the development of facial hair, deepens their voices and increases their muscle mass.

Their penises grow and they begin to experience ejaculation.

Why did I get my growth spurt then?

Your growth spurt is caused by the growth hormone, which is also produced by the pituitary gland as part of the pubertal ­process.

Other hormones are then stimulated by the growth hormone, such as Insulin-like growth ­factor-1 (IGF-1) and adrenal ­hormones like androgens, which lead to the growth of pubic and underarm hair, body odour and acne.

In girls, progesterone is also produced to regulate the ­menstrual cycle and prepare the uterus for pregnancy.

Once oestrogen and progesterone are produced, and menses commence, the adolescent girl can get pregnant.

In puberty, you will grow ­rapidly in height and weight.

I remember being smaller than my sister at puberty. We were both very close to each other’s ages.

Girls experience growth spurts at a younger age compared to boys.

Girls have growth spurts between the ages of 10 to 14, while boys have it at ages 14 to 17.

It is common to go to a class of girls and boys when they are 10 to 14 years old, and see the girls taller and bigger than the boys!

Another issue is that some ­adolescents become bigger than others in the same class, and this may lead to bullying.

Does the adolescent’s brain develop during this time too?

Yes, even the brain goes through a development spurt.

Adolescents can now deal with more complex and sophisticated thoughts, including abstract ­possibilities involving the future, reasoning, creativity, problem-solving and decision-making.

This is because the nerve cells, known as neurons, grow rapidly and connect more.

But the frontal lobe in the brain develops last.

The frontal lobe controls ­planning, impulses, judgment and prioritisation.

It finishes development and maturation only in the mid- to late 20s.

That is why your adolescent or teenager may not exhibit good judgment sometimes.

When they are impulsive, the thought process is known as hot cognition, the opposite of cold cognition, which represents logic.

Are adolescents more emotional?

Sometimes.

They begin to become more self-aware of their own emotions and other people’s emotions, especially their classmates and social circles.

Their self-esteem means a lot to them at this age, especially as they are self-conscious of their own bodies and appearances.

They may also develop romantic, and even sexual, relationships; spend less time with their parents and more with their friends as they explore their independence; and/or feel more anxious or depressed than when they were children.

These days, adolescents spend a lot of time on social media, which can be a negative influence.

They can feel bad about themselves when comparing with their friends and social media influencers of around the same age, especially when many of these people only show what they want to show and much of it isn’t even real.

During this time, it would be good of parents to really be there for their adolescent, but remember not to helicopter-parent them.

Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health, computers and entertainment. For further information, email [e-mail]. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.