Puberty Body Changes and Sex Hormone Regulation: Health Tips

Upon entering puberty, girls' breasts begin to fill out, their skin becomes smoother, and their figures become more rounded and curvaceous; boys' voices deepen and they grow facial hair. All these changes are the result of hormone secretion and action within the body.

There are many types of hormones in the human body, and they are secreted in different locations depending on their function. The main organs and sites that secrete hormones include: the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, pineal gland, parathyroid glands, spleen, pancreas, gastric mucosa, adrenal glands, ovaries, testes, and seminal vesicles. Besides contributing to the physical differences between men and women, hormones also aid in growth, promote metabolism, and maintain basic life functions.

However, more hormone secretion and accumulation in the body is not necessarily better. If the various hormones in the body are not balanced, it can cause problems in certain parts of the body. If a certain hormone is secreted in excess or deficiency, the body will exhibit abnormal reactions. If this situation is not corrected in time, certain bodily functions will be impaired. Controlling hormone secretion is a very delicate process, and the pituitary gland, often called the center of hormone secretion in the human body, is responsible for this task.

The pituitary gland is located in the central part of the brain, surrounded by a strong skull. About the size of a soybean, it is divided into three lobes: the anterior, middle, and posterior lobes. The pituitary gland is regulated by the hypothalamus, the highest center of the brain. If the concentration of a certain hormone in the blood increases, the hypothalamus will "command" the pituitary gland to control its secretion.

Hormones are widely distributed in the body and have complex functions; sex hormones are one type.

The main sex organ for men is the testes, and for women, it is the ovaries. Both the testes and ovaries produce steroid-like substances that are closely related to the development of sex organs and sexual function, hence the name sex hormones. The sex hormone produced in the testicular tissue of men is called androgen (testosterone). The sex hormone produced in the ovarian tissue of women is called female hormone. Female hormones are divided into two types: estrogen (estrogens) and progesterone (progesterone). Sex hormones secreted by the ovaries and testes enter the bloodstream directly and are then distributed throughout the body via blood circulation, exerting different physiological functions.