Physical changes that occur during puberty in girls
1. Development of breasts
Between the ages of 8-13 years, girls start developing breasts. Morphologically (that is in terms of form and shape), breasts look like a cone with the base at the chest wall and the apex at the nipple. It is possible that one of the breasts grows faster than the other but by the time the breasts are fully developed the differences in their shape and size are reduced. For a majority of girls there is a small difference in shape and size of the two breasts which is permanent and is totally normal. The size of the breasts and the time when it starts to grow also varies on an individual basis.
2. Appearance of hair in the armpit
During puberty, hair begins to grow in your arm pits.
3. Widening of hips and appearance of pubic hair
Through the years of puberty, the hips of a girl widen and hair begins to grow in the genital region. Hair in the genital region is known as pubic hair.
4. Growth spurt
During puberty girls experience a sharp growth in their height. This is known as growth spurt. By the time she is 16 years old, she attains about 98% of the final height that she will eventually grow to.
5. Onset of menstruation
Menstruation is a process in which a sexually mature girl's or a woman's body releases of a small amount of blood and tissue through her vagina. Menstruation is a normal process that every healthy and sexually mature girl and woman undergo generally once every month. First occurrence of menstruation is called menarche and it marks the age when girls become sexually mature. Generally menarche occurs between the ages of 9 and 14 years and varies on an individual basis.
References:
- Teenage growth and development: 11-14 Years, http://www.pamf.org
- Puberty and adolescence, http://www.nlm.nih.gov
- Reproductive anatomy and physiology, http://www.columbia.edu
