Adolescence Defined By Biology or Society Essay - 703 Words

Adolescence begins in biology and ends in society. The definitions we accept to describe the onset of adolescence revolve around puberty, biological changes of the body. Therefore I consider adolescence to begin in biology. Adolescence ends in society. Entrance into adulthood marks the end of adolescence. The definitions of who is considered an adult are defined by society and therefore I contest that adolescence ends in society. The onset of adolescence is marked by a sudden increase in the production of many hormones in the body. The hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls the pituitary, sends signals the increase hormone production. Growth hormone produced in the anterior pituitary is increased in production,†¦show more content†¦Some research has shown the factors that control the onset, to be genetic. They argue that timing of the onset is by inherited factors within the chromosomes of the individual. The anatomy of chromosomes is well known, however the physiology is limited to describing how genes on the chromosomes code for the proteins that are the makeup of hormones. It is not understood what causes a certain gene to be expressed. Until these factors can be shown the theory of genetic control over the onset of puberty cannot be proven as fact. Some patterns have been shown within a group of individuals that are exposed to similar environmental conditions such as nutrition and health, and enter puberty at differing times, that points to a correlation between social interaction and the timing of onset. For example family environment. A stress created by family or other factors can slow the onset of maturation. However, this correlation can be explained by experiments that have proven that stress can affect the secretion levels of hormones. This further proves that the factors controlling the onset of puberty are biological. Another argument to biological control over the onset of maturation is history. Throughout hi story the timing of puberty has remained similar given similar environmental conditions. Adolescence ends when adulthood begins. All societies define what is considered an adult. Some define it different than others but the characteristics areShow MoreRelatedHuman Behavior And Inner Emotion1329 Words   |  6 Pageshumans, as well as the function of their immune system and brain chemistry. This is closely related to neuroscience and biology as a fundamental role in determining our behavior and how it corresponds with inherited genetics. The Biological Perspective, also referred to as biopsychology or psychobiology, is the only approach that studies emotions from the perspective of biology (McLeod, 2015); it is belief that all outward and inward behavior have a biological reason behind it. 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