NCERT Solutions Class 8th Science Chapter – 7 Reaching The Age of Adolescence Question and Answer

• There is sudden increase in the height of both boys and girls. However, both reach their maximum height at the age of 17 to 18 years.
• The voice of boys become hoarse and that of girls become shrill.
• Shoulders become broader and muscles grow more prominently in boys. In girls, the regions below the waist becomes wider.
• Hair start growing in different parts of boys and girls.
• In most of the teenagers, due to increased secretion of sweat and sebaceous gland, get acne and pimples on their face.
• Onset of puberty brings changes in secondary sexual characters in both male and female.
• Boys and girls become capable of reproduction.
• In girls, menstruation starts.
• Different types of hormones start to release in initiating a reproductive function.

Answer: The hormones which help and control the formation of secondary sexual characters are called sex hormones. They are named so because they control the sexual activities and are secreted by males and females separately.

Functions of sex hormones are given below separately:
Male sex hormone: It is also called testosterone. It is secreted by testes and causes changes in secondary sexual character of boys like growth of facial hair like moustache, beard, etc. It also stimulates spermatogenesis.

Female sex hormone – It is also called estrogen. It is secreted by ovaries and controls the secondary sexual characters in females, appearance of mammary glands, etc. It also maintains pregnancy.

(i) proper diet develops their brains.
(ii) proper diet is needed for the rapid growth taking place in their body.
(iii) adolescents feel hungry all the time.
(iv) taste buds are well developed in teenagers.

Answer: (ii) proper diet is needed for the rapid growth taking place in their body.

(b) Reproductive age in women starts when their:

(i) menstruation starts.
(ii) breasts start developing.
(iii) body weight increases.
(iv) height increases.

Answer: (i) menstruation starts.

(c) The right meal for adolescents consists of:

(i) chips, noodles, coke.
(ii) chapati, dal, vegetables.
(iii) rice, noodles and burger.
(iv) vegetable cutlets, chips and lemon drink.

Answer: (ii) chapati, dal, vegetables.

(b) Secondary sexual characters.
Answer: Secondary sexual characters: Those characters which are visible more apparently and help in distinguishing a male from a female are called secondary sexual characters. For example, in girls, breasts and in boys, facial hair, i.e., moustache and beard.

(c) Sex determination in the unborn baby.
Answer: Sex determination in the unborn baby: The sex of a child, i.e., whether it is a male or a female is determined at the time of fertilisation when a male gametes fuse with a female gamete. All human beings have 23 pairs of chromosomes in the nuclei of their cells. Two chromosomes out of these are sex chromosomes. A female has two X chromosomes, while a male has one X and one Y chromosome. The gametes (egg and sperm) have only one set of chromosomes. The unfertilised egg always has one X chromosome.

But sperms are of two kinds—One having X chromosome, and the other having Y chromosome. When a sperm containing X chromosome fertilises the egg, the zygote would have two X chromosomes and develop into a female child. If the sperm contributes a Y chromosome to the egg or ovum at fertilisation, the zygote would develop into a male child. It is thus also clear that the sex chromosomes of the father determine the sex of an unborn baby.

Answer: From the above graph, we conclude that initially boys grow faster than girls from 0-8 years, and girls grow faster than boys from 8-16 years. But both reach their maximum height at the age of 20. Here boys show a greater increase in height than girls.