• Question: why do we need to go through the puberty stage

    Asked by ashley to Alastair, Emma, Hywel, Keith, Vicki on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Vicki Stevenson

      Vicki Stevenson answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      It might not be fun, but I think it is a biological necessity.
      Animals need to develop to a stage where they are capable of looking after their young. If they reproduce too early, it is likely that the baby will die and possibly the parents would too. Letting the body develop before introducing the hormones which cause puberty and enable the body to reproduce, safeguards against this.

    • Photo: Keith Brain

      Keith Brain answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I suppose it is to stop reproduction during childhood. As we are creatures who nurture (look after) our young, it is necessary to be strong and fit enough to be able to look after your young. So, young children (eg. 5 year olds) having children would not biologically be good for the survival of the species because the 5/6 year olds would be unable to look after their babies (let alone themselves). So, the development of our sexual organs and hence the ability to reproduce has to be delayed until we can look after ourselves and a baby – this transformation happens at puberty.

      PS: I don’t mean to imply that in our modern society having a baby is a good idea as soon as you pass through puberty!

    • Photo: Alastair Sloan

      Alastair Sloan answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Hi Ashley

      We go through puberty to keep our species going. Without it, we would not develop and become extinct. When we go through puberty, chemical messengers called hormones act on boys and girls to essentially develop the testes and sperm or ovaries and eggs. Without puberty, no sperm or eggs and so no reproduction so we become extinct

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