CHAPTER

Reaching the Age of

10 Adolescence

KEYWORDS
Word Meaning
Adolescence Period following the onset of puberty during which a young person
develops from a child into an adult.
Adrenaline Hormone secreted by adrenal gland which increases rates of blood
circulation, breathing and carbohydrate metabolism.
Estrogen Group of steroid hormones which promotes the development and
maintenance of female characteristics of the body.
Insulin Hormone produced in the pancreas which regulates the amount of
glucose in the blood.
Larynx Hollow muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs and
holding the vocal cords.
Puberty Period at which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become
capable of reproduction.
Testosterone A hormone that stimulates development of male secondary sexual
characteristics.
Thyroxine Hormone produced in thyroid gland, which increases the metabolic
rate and so regulates growth and development.

EXERCISES
10.1 Adolescence and Puberty
A. Fill in the blanks with appropriate answers:
Adolescence
_________________
1. is the period of life, when the body undergoes changes, leading to reproductive maturity.
Puberty
______________________
2. ends when an adolescent reaches reproductive maturity.

B. Answer the following questions:

1. Which age group is referred to as adolescent?

The age group from 13 to 19 years is referred as adolescent.

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 2. What do you mean by puberty?

The period of adolescence during which a adolescent reaches sexual maturity and becomes able to have

children.

Fact Box:

Puberty is not to be confused with adolescence. Puberty is the physiological growth and anatomical

development that take place when the pituitary gland releases growth hormones.

10.2 Changes at Puberty

A. Fill in the blanks with appropriate answers:
height
1. The most conspicuous change during puberty is the sudden increase in ______________________.
shrill deep
2. Generally, girls have a _______________ voice whereas boys have a ______________________ voice.
pituitary adrenal
3. During puberty the secretion of _________________ glands and ______________________ glands increases.
memory
4. Adolescence is often the time in one’s life when the brain has the greatest capacity for _________________.

B. Answer the following questions:

1. List the important changes that take place at puberty.

Physical growth in body, i.e. increase in height increase in body, change in voice and growth of reproductive

organs etc.

2. Why do some adolescent boys have a hoarse voice?

Adolescent boys have a hoarse voice because, under the influence of testosterone hormones larynx grows

prominently. Vocal cords become longer and thicker, causing the voice to become Hoarse.

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 3. What do you mean by Adam’s apple?

A projection of the front of neck formed by thyroid cartilage of larynx, often prominent in men.

4. Describe the development of sex organs that take place at puberty.

Ovaries in female and testes in male produces a range of hormones that stimulates growth and change in

various parts of body like breasts, skin, muscles, bones, hair and brain.

10.3 Secondary Sexual Characters

A. Fill in the blanks with appropriate answers:
sex differences
1. Features which help to distinguish male from the females are known as ______________________.
Puberty
______________________
2. controls the changes which occur at adolescence.
reproductive organs
3. Hormones from ______________________ stimulate the release of testosterone and estrogen.

B. Answer the following questions:

1. List the secondary sexual characters that develop in boys.

The secondary sexual characters that develops in boys are moustaches, beard on face and they develop hair

on their chest.

2. Explain the role of hormones in initiating changes at the onset of puberty.

The male hormone testosterone is secreted by testes at onset of puberty and cause development of facial,

hair, chest hair etc. At onset of puberty in girls, ovaries secrete female hormone estrogen which makes the

breast develop. Their secretion is under the pituitary endocrine gland.

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 Fact Box:

Adult health concerns, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol levels find their roots in the early teen years.

Attention should be paid to limiting high fat and sugar content and empty calorie foods.

10.4 Reproductive Phase of Life in Humans

A. Fill in the blanks with appropriate answers:
Target site
1. Endocrine glands release hormones into the blood stream to reach a particular part called _______________.

2. 28-30
Menstruation occurs once in about ______________________ days.

3. menarche
The first menstrual flow begins at puberty and is known as ______________________.

B. Answer the following questions:

1. What do you understand by the terms ‘menarche’ and ‘menopause’?

Menarche: The first menstrual flow which begins at puberty is known as menarche.

Menopause: At 45-50 years of age, the menstruation cycle stops menstruation is called menopause.

2. Explain the process of menstruation in females.

The uterine wall in females prepares itself to receive the developing fertilised egg. Incase there is no fertilisation

the thickened lining of uterine wall breaks down and goes out along with blood. This bleeding is called

menstruation.

3. Mention the various stages involved in menstrual cycle.

There are four stages involved in menstrual cycle are:

1) follicular phase

2) ovulation

3) luteal phase

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10.5 How is the Sex of the Baby Determined?
A. Fill in the blanks with appropriate answers:

1. chromosome
The thread-like structure which carries the information is called as ______________________ .
autosomes
2. X and Y chromosomes are known as ______________________.
23
3. In human beings, there are ______________________ pairs of chromosomes.
X Y
4. A female has _____________________ chromosomes while male has ___________________ chromosomes.

B. Answer the following questions:

1. How is the sex determined in human beings?

Sex determination is done on basis of X and Y chromosomes which fertilises the egg X chromosome fertilises

egg and develops into female child Y chromosome fertilizes with egg and develops into male child.

Fact Box:

The XY sex determination system is found in humans, most mammals, some insects and some plants.

10.6 Hormones other than Sex Hormones

A. Fill in the blanks with appropriate answers:

1. Pituitary gland
______________________ is an endocrine gland which is attached to the brain.

2. thyroid
Goitre is a disease which occurs in ______________________ .

3. thyroxine
Thyroid gland produces ______________________ hormone.

4. Adrenaline
______________________ hormones helps the body to adjust stress.

B. Answer the following questions:

1. What are endocrine glands? Name the various endocrine glands present in human body.

Endocrine glands are glands which secrete different hormones. Pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, pancreas etc.

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 2. What is the cause of the following disorders?
Thyroid gland produces the hormone thyroxine which causes goitre.
(i) Goitre : _______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Insufficient production of insulin hormone in body causes diabetes.
(ii) Diabetes : _____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

3. Explain the role of pituitary gland as an endocrine gland.

Pituitary glands secret many hormones such as growth hormone and hormones that make other gland such

as testes, ovaries, thyroids and adrenals.

4. Mention the two important functions of the hormones secreted by the adrenals.

Pancreas: Produce insulin hormone which is capable of causing diabetes.

Adrenal: Produce adrenaline hormone which adjusts the stress level of body.

10.7 Reproductive Health

A. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the nutritional needs of an adolescent?

Nutritional needs of adolescent is balanced diet which includes proper amount of proteins, fats, vitamins,

carbohydrates, milk, leafy vegetables, jaggery, meat, citrus fruits amla etc.

2. Write a short note on AIDS.

AIDS– Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. It is caused by HIV virus. This decreases the immunity of

body and makes body weak. This diseases is mainly transported by sexual contact.

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3. List three myths to human reproduction.

1) A girl becomes pregnant if she looks at boys during menstruation.

2) Mother is responsible for sex of child.

3) A girl should not be allowed to mark in kitchen during menstruation.

4. ‘Say, No To Drugs’. Comment on this advice.

Drugs are addictive. If you take them once, you feel like taking them again and again. They harm the body

in long run. They ruin health and happiness.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The belief that the mother is completely responsible for the sex of the child is wrong because the child

(a) gets sex chromosome only from the mother.

(b) develops in the body of the mother.

(c) gets one sex chromosome from the mother and the other from the father.

(d) gets sex chromosome only from the father. (d) gets sex chromosome only from the father.

2. AIDS can spread from an infected person to another person through

(a) sharing food (b) sharing comb

(c) blood transfusion (d) a mosquito bite (b) blood transfusion

3. Given below are events that lead to pregnancy and development of embryo.

(i) Fertilisation of egg 3

(ii) Maturation of egg 1

(iii) Release of egg 2

(iv) Embedding of embryo in thickened uterine wall. 4

Which of the following options gives the correct order of sequence in which they occur?

(a) i, ii, iii, iv (b) ii, i, iii, iv

(c) i, iv, ii, iii (d) ii, iii, i, iv. (d) ii, iii, i, iv.

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 4. For the metamorphosis of tadpoles which of the following elements must be available in water?

(a) Chlorine (b) Sulphur

(c) Carbon (d) Iodine (c) Carbon

5. The most conspicuous visible change that occurs in boys during puberty is

(a) development in voice box.

(b) increase in height.

(c) production of sperms.

(d) increased sweating. (b) increase in height.

6. Structures present in a cell which is responsible for determination of the sex of a baby is

(a) cytoplasm (b) nucleus

(c) cell membrane (d) chromosome (d) chromosome

7. Iodine is present in the secretion of

(a) adrenal (b) thyroid

(c) pancreas (d) pituitary (a) adrenal

8. AIDS virus cannot be transmitted by

(a) Sharing the syringes used by the infected person.

(b) Milk to the infant from the infected person.

(c) Hugging (c) Hugging

(d) Sexual contact with the infected person.

9. Which of the following is incorrect about adrenal glands?

(a) It secretes hormones which maintain the correct salt balance in the blood.

(b) It secretes hormones which maintain the sugar balance in the blood.

(c) It is under the control of pituitary gland.

(d) It helps the blood to adjust to stress. (c) It is under the control of pituitary gland.

10. Which of the following changes at puberty is incorrect?

(a) In boys, the muscles of the body grow prominently than in girls.

(b) Initially, boys grow faster than girls.

(c) Girls have a high-pitched voice.

(d) Boys develop large voice box. (d) Boys develop large voice box.

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11. All human beings have

(a) 23 pairs of chromosomes (b) 22 pairs of chromosomes

(c) XX sex chromosomes (d) None of these (a) 23 pairs of chromosomes

Extra Questions
1. Fill the blank circles in the figure and identify the sex of child A and B.

XX XY

X X X Y

XX XY

A B

2. During adolescence, the body of boys and girls undergoes certain changes. Given below are a few of those
(B) (G)
changes.

(a) Broad shoulders B

(b) Wider chests B

(c) Wider region below waist G

(d) Development of muscles B

(e) Development of mammary glands

(f) Growth of facial hair B

(g) Acne and pimples on face B, G

(h) Development of sex organs B, G

(i) High-pitched voice G

(j) Growth of pubic hair. B, G

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 Categorise these changes into those that occur in boys and those that occur in girls and fill in the table given

below.

Body changes during Adolescence

Boys Girls
Broad shoulders Wider region below waist

Wider chests High-pitched voice

Acne and pimples on face Acne and pimples on face

Development of sex organs Development of sex organs

Growth of pubic hair. Growth of pubic hair.

Development of muscles

Growth of facial hair

3. In the given figure, mark the positions of the endocrine glands which release the hormones that

(a) controls the release of sex hormones.

(b) is responsible for the secondary sexual characters in boys.

(c) prevents diabetes.

(d) maintains the correct salt balance in the blood.

Pituitary gland (b), (a)

Adrenal gland (d)

Pancreas (c)

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4. Observe the chart and graph given in the figure carefully and answer the following questions.

Age in % of full height

years Boys Girls
8 72% 77%

9 75% 81%

10 78% 84%

11 81% 88%

12 84% 91%

13 88% 95%

14 92% 98%

15 95% 99%

16 98% 99.5%

17 99% 100%

18 100% 100%

(a) Which of the line represents the height of boys?

(b) Which line represents the height of girls?

(c) What is the difference between the pattern of increase in the height of boys and girls?

Height of boys increases continuously and have more greater then girls

(d) Is this pattern true for each individual?

Partially True

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 5. Use the clues to work out the words.
1
T
E
S
T
O
2
T S
H T
Y E
R R
O O
I N
3
A D A M S A P P L E
D
O
L
4
E N D O C R I N E
5
S T
6
L C A
A E 7
P I T U I T A R Y
H
8
O R M O N E U G
Y C B E
10
9
I N S U L I N E S T R O G E N T
X R S

Across : T I
Y T
3. Protruding voice box in boys E
4. Glands without ducts

7. Endocrine gland attached to the brain

8. Secretion of endocrine glands

9. Pancreatic hormone

10. Female hormone

Down :

1. Male hormone

2. Secretes thyroxine

3. Another term for teenage

5. Hormone reaches here through blood stream

6. Voice box

7. Term for changes at adolescence

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Extra Information
Adrenaline hormone: Adrenaline is formed and secreted in the medulla of adrenal gland. It is also secreted

in some neurons of our central nervous system. Adrenaline hormone is also known as ‘emergency hormone’

as it initiates the quick reaction which allows the human to think and react quickly to the stress.

It also increases the metabolic rate, dilation of blood vessels going to the heart as well as to the brain. At the

time of stress, adrenaline is released quickly into the blood, which sends impulses to the organs to create a

response.

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 Complete the Mind Map
______________________ ______________________ _____________________
_____________________  Features that help to  Production of the  Endocrine glands
_________________________ distinguish the male hormones is under the release hormones
 The growing voice
 When the body undergoes from the female. control of this gland into the blood-stream
box in boys can be
changes, leading to situated in the brain. to reach a particular
seen as a protruding
reproductive maturity. part of the throat. body part.
_________________________
 The human body
undergoes several changes
during adolescence.

___________________
REACHING THE AGE OF  The change from
larva to adult.
ADOLESCENCE

____________________________
 The thickened lining of the ____________________________
uterus along with its blood  Instructions are present in the
vessels are shed off. This thread–like structures.
causes bleeding in women. ____________________________
____________________________  Two chromosomes named
 The first menstrual flow begins X and Y. A female has two XX
at puberty. chromosomes, while a male
____________________________ has one X and one Y.
 At 45–50 years of age,
the menstrual cycle stops.
Stoppage of menstruation.