| adolescence | developmental transition between childhood and adulthood entailing major physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes.
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| adolescent growth spurt | sharp increase in height and weight that precedes sexual maturity.
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| adrenarche | maturation of adrenal glands.
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| anorexia nervosa | eating disorder characterized by self-starvation.
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| bulimia nervosa | eating disorder in which a person regularly eats huge quantities of food and then purges the body by laxatives, induced vomiting, fasting, or excessive exercise.
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| gateway drugs | drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, the use of which tends to lead to use of more addictive drugs.
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| gonadarche | maturation of the testes or ovaries.
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| menarche | girl's first menstruation.
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| primary sex characteristics | organs directly related to reproduction, which enlarge and mature during adolescence.
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| puberty | process by which a person attains sexual maturity and the ability to reproduce.
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| secular trend | trend that can be seen only by observing several generations, such as the trend toward earlier attainment of adult height and sexual maturity, which began a century ago.
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| secondary sex characteristics | physiological signs of sexual maturation (such as breast development and growth of body hair) that do not involve the sex organs.
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| sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) | diseases spread by sexual contact.
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| spermarache | boy's first ejaculation.
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| substance abuse | repeated, harmful use of a substance, usually alcohol or other drugs.
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| substance dependence | addiction (physical or psychological, or both) to a harmful substance.
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