sexual maturity
Able to reproduce
Sexual maturity is the stage of development when an organism becomes capable of reproduction.
In humans, this transition occurs during puberty, typically between ages 10 and 16, marked by hormonal changes that enable the production of viable eggs or sperm.
The term appears frequently in biological and medical contexts: Most salmon reach sexual maturity between two and five years of age.
In discussions of human development, the phrase often distinguishes physical readiness from emotional or social readiness for sexual activity.
Onset of menstruation
- adrenarcheAdrenal cortex maturation onset
- growth spurtPeriod of accelerated physical development
- voice changePubescent vocal transformation
- pubic hairGenital region fuzz
acne · nocturnal emissions · hormones · testosterone · estrogen · androgens · body hair · menstruation
Transition-marking ceremony
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- transitionChange from one state
- adulthoodState of being grown
- milestoneNotable event marking progress
maturation · awakening · independence · age of consent · legal majority · responsibility · quinceañera · bar mitzvah
Egg discharge from ovary
- spermatogenesisMale gamete formation
- oogenesisFemale reproductive cell development
- fecundityReproductive capacity
- gametesReproductive cells for fusion
menstrual cycle · potency · libido · virility · biological clock
Generating biological offspring
- matingReproductive pairing behavior
- conceptionFormation of an idea
- copulationSexual joining of bodies
- courtshipSeeking another's romantic favor
breeding · fertilization · insemination · spawning · estrus · reproductive behavior · pheromones · pair bonding
Gamete-producing glands
- endocrine systemHormone-producing gland network
- hypothalamusSubthalamic regulatory brain region
- pituitary glandBrain-base hormone producer
- physical developmentGrowth of the body
reproductive organs · LH · growth plates · bone age · developmental stage
menarche
Onset of menstruation
- adrenarcheAdrenal cortex maturation onset
- growth spurtPeriod of accelerated physical development
- voice changePubescent vocal transformation
pubic hair · acne · nocturnal emissions · hormones · testosterone · estrogen · androgens · body hair · menstruation · pheromones
rite of passage
Transition-marking ceremony
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- transitionChange from one state
- adulthoodState of being grown
milestone · maturation · awakening · independence · age of consent · legal majority · responsibility · quinceañera · bar mitzvah · bat mitzvah
ovulation
Egg discharge from ovary
- spermatogenesisMale gamete formation
- oogenesisFemale reproductive cell development
- fecundityReproductive capacity
gametes · menstrual cycle · potency · libido · virility · biological clock
procreation
Generating biological offspring
- matingReproductive pairing behavior
- conceptionFormation of an idea
- copulationSexual joining of bodies
courtship · breeding · fertilization · insemination · spawning · estrus · reproductive behavior · pheromones · pair bonding · rutting
gonads
Gamete-producing glands
- endocrine systemHormone-producing gland network
- hypothalamusSubthalamic regulatory brain region
- pituitary glandBrain-base hormone producer
physical development · reproductive organs · LH · growth plates · bone age · developmental stage
- Human Developmentgrowth, heredity, aging, genetics, adolescence
- maturationripening, development, growth, aging, adolescence
- pubertyvoice cracking, adolescence, growth spurts, body hair, pubic hair
- eel life cycleegg, larva, glass eel, elver, spawning
- life historyreproductive strategy, parental care, fecundity, litter size, lifespan
- mollusk developmentegg, embryo, larva, juvenile, adult
sexual maturitychildhood
Life's earliest phase
prepubescence · infancy · immaturity · juvenility · preadolescence
sexual maturityinfertility
Inability to reproduce
sterility · barrenness · menopause · andropause · senescence
mature, sexual, immature, puberty, maturity, pansexual, matured, premature, maturing