Puberty Glossary of Terms

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Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acne: Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the ba...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Anterior: The front, as opposed to the posterior. The anterior surface of the heart is tow...

Anterior cruciate ligament: A ligament in the knee that crosses from the underside of the ...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Benign: Not malignant. A benign tumor is one that does not invade surrounding tissue or sp...

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

Body odor: An unpleasant smell produced after perspiration. Body odor occurs when sweat c...

Bone density: Bone density is the amount of bone tissue in a certain volume of bone. It ca...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Calcification: The process of suffusing tissues with calcium salts.

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

Cardiovascular: Relating to the circulatory system, which comprises the heart and blood ve...

Cervix: The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus, a hollow, ...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chlamydia: The agent of a sexually transmitted disease, a type of bacteria found in the ce...

Cognitive: Having to do with thought, judgment, or knowledge.

Cortex: The outer layer of any organ.

Cruciate: Cross-shaped.

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

Epidemic: The occurrence of more cases of a disease than would be expected in a community...

Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

Evolution: The continuing process of change.

Fertility: The ability to conceive and bear children, the ability to become pregnant throu...

Genes: The basic biological units of heredity. Segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nee...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Genital: Pertaining to the external and/or internal organs of reproduction.

Gynecomastia: Excessive development of the male breasts. Temporary enlargement of the brea...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

HPV: Human papillomavirus.

Human papillomavirus: HPV. A family of over 100 viruses including those which cause warts ...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Iron: An essential mineral. Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen (via hemoglobin ...

Labial: Pertaining to a lip.

Ligament: A tough band of connective tissue that connects various structures, such as two ...

Longitudinal: Along the length of something; running lengthwise or, by extension, over the...

Menarche: The time in a girl's life when menstruation first begins. During the menarche pe...

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstruation: The periodic blood that flows as a discharge from the uterus. Also called me...

Metabolic: Relating to metabolism, the whole range of biochemical processes that occur wit...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle developme...

Myopia: Nearsightedness, the ability to see close objects more clearly than distant objec...

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Ovulation: The release of the ripe egg (ovum) from the ovary. The egg is released when the...

Penile: Of or pertaining to the penis.

Penis: The external male sex organ. The penis contains two chambers, the corpora cavernosa...

Physiologic: Something that is normal, that is due neither to anything pathologic nor sign...

Physiology: The study of how living organisms function, including such processes as nutrit...

Precocious: Unusually early development of intellectual powers, speech, physical traits, a...

Precocious puberty: The onset of secondary sexual characteristics, such as breast buds in ...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pubarche: The onset of puberty, often measured by the first development of pubic hair.

Puberty: Adolescence, the period in which the human body first becomes capable of reproduc...

Scoliosis: Lateral (sideways) curving of the spine. The degree of scoliosis may range from...

Skeleton: The skeleton is composed of bones and is the framework of the body.

Somatic: 1. Relating to the body. a. As distinguished from the mind (the psy...

Sweat: A colorless transparent acidic fluid with a distinctive odor secreted by the small ...

Testosterone: A "male hormone" -- a sex hormone produced by the testes that encourages th...

Thelarche: The time that breast development starts in girls.

Therapeutic: Relating to therapeutics, the branch of medicine that is concerned specifical...

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Vagina: The muscular canal that extends from the cervix to the outside of the body. It is ...