The neuroendocrinology of puberty.
The endocrine events that we recognize as adolescent puberty actually begin early in fetal life. The natural history of these developments and the "switches" that turn them on and off are reviewed in terms of both normal and abnormal maturation of sexual function and are related to potential therapeutic approaches. A major focus is on the observation that adrenarche and gonadarche are totally independent events.
D000293:Adolescent; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D006066:Gonads / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011627:Puberty; D012741:Sexual Maturation
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones