Adolescence: A Stage of Growth and Change: questions with answers

From infancy to adulthood our bodies undergo various changes, and until around 10-12 years of age most changes are related to height and weight. The graph says the same thing: the line is already climbing at 2 years, so growth did not wait for adolescence. Each reading before ten is higher than the one before it, but the steps are small ones. What changes later is the rate -- between twelve and sixteen the line climbs much more steeply -- not the fact of growth. A record of height is also only a record of height; the emotional and behavioural changes of adolescence, and the internal ones, leave no mark on it.

As humans grow and develop, they experience significant physical, emotional, and behavioural changes, along with the ability to reproduce. Shalu has named one of the three and stopped. Adolescence is often marked by stronger emotions than childhood, and those emotions affect behaviour. That some changes cannot be seen is no argument against them: some occur internally and may go unnoticed.

Since adolescence is a period of growth and development marked by several changes in the body, a nutritious diet is of utmost importance. What the chapter asks about is the content of the diet -- proteins, carbohydrates, and an adequate amount of fats, vitamins and minerals -- not its size. Fats are among the things needed in adequate amount, so they are not to be struck out.

For proper growth, and to perform well on the playground, we need proteins and carbohydrates. Not only that, we also need an adequate amount of fats, vitamins, and minerals as well. Fats are named in that list, not excluded from it: milk, curd, cheese and paneer are listed as giving calcium, proteins and fats together for optimal bone growth.

The growth of the voice box may be seen as a bump in the throat region. This bump is called the Adam's apple. It is a normal change of adolescence, though it is not noticeable in every individual. Mary's bulge is not that. It is due to a deficiency in her diet, and a deficiency is corrected by correcting the diet, not by waiting. The voice box does grow in girls as well, but only slightly, and it is not the cause here.

An increase in height happens in adolescent boys and in adolescent girls, which is why it sits in region C, the overlap. Secondary sexual characteristics are the changes that help distinguish males from females. A change that boys and girls both show cannot do that, so an increase in height is not one. Height does not tell the two apart, because the extent of these changes varies from person to person. These characteristics are also not the parts that carry out reproduction; they are not directly involved in reproduction at all.

Adolescence is usually a stage of development between childhood and adulthood, typically occurring between the ages of 10-19. Puberty is the stage in which the body of an adolescent undergoes external and internal changes to develop into an adult capable of reproduction. Puberty is therefore something that happens during adolescence, and it covers internal changes as much as external ones.

Menstruation is the phase of the cycle when blood discharge occurs from the body. It may last for three to seven days. The cycle itself recurs generally every 28-30 days. So the short span P is menstruation and the long span Q is the whole cycle. Neither span marks days when a person is ill: the menstrual cycle is a natural process and a sign of good reproductive health.

Many healthy girls may have longer or shorter menstrual cycles ranging from 21-35 days. The 28 to 30 days the chapter gives first is what happens generally, not a rule she has broken. Telling her she has miscounted keeps a different error in place, since the days of discharge are a phase inside the cycle and are not the cycle. The menstrual cycle is an important natural process and one of the signs of good reproductive health.

Quick swings between feeling energetic and feeling low are called mood swings. They are one of the emotional changes of adolescence, along with stronger emotions and greater sensitivity. Hormones produced in the body influence mood and behaviour, and they are released at particular times. So these ups and downs are a normal part of growing up, not a disease and not a weakness of character.

Hormones are produced in different parts of the body. They are released at an appropriate time, in response to signals that come from the brain. So the release is timed, not constant. What sets the time is a signal, not a clock. It is not the filling up of one part of the body either, because no single part makes them all.

The chapter says that biodegradable sanitary pads are environment-friendly. Ordinary pads are not. So the difference lies in what they leave behind. Comfort is not the whole reason for a choice, because hygiene during menstruation matters for both comfort and health. Every used pad must still be wrapped in newspaper and put inside a dustbin.

The chapter's advice for a joyful adolescence covers nutrition, personal hygiene, regular exercise and a balanced social life. Under the last of these it says we must be thoughtful and responsible while interacting with others. That holds in person and through social media alike. So online conduct belongs on the poster along with the rest.

The first step to overcoming addiction is seeking help and support from family and friends, and talking to trusted people, such as parents or teachers. Counselling and medical advice can also be helpful. The word 'also' shows they are added to that support, not put in its place. And because help is needed at all, no one can simply stop whenever they decide to.

Whether it is a change in height, voice, or facial hair, it is important to recognise that the timing, nature, and extent of these changes vary among individuals. These variations are completely normal. Nothing in the chapter fixes an order for them, and a change that arrives later is not a change that has gone wrong. The extent varies too, so the two boys are not headed for identical outcomes either.