A 12-year-old boy notices several changes occurring in his body. Hair is starting to grow in places it did not grow before, his
voice is changing, and he has recently undergone several growth spurts. What is the most likely explanation for these symptoms and which hormone is involved?
The boy is going through Puberty. The male sex hormone responsible for these changes is Testosterone.
Testosterone is a sex hormone present in both males and females. Males have a significantly larger amount of testosterone in their bodies due to secretions by the Leydig Cells in the Seminiferous Tubules of the Testes. Women secrete testosterone in smaller amounts from the Ovaries and Adrenal Glands. Testosterone levels rise during puberty and early adulthood and this is when boys begin to show changes physically.
These changes include: increased bone density and mass, increased muscle growth and strength, increased hair growth, increased sex drive, increased red blood cell production and increased spermatogenesis and prostrate growth. This is not an all inclusive list.
