Chapter 6: Adolescence: A Stage of Growth and Change (Biology)

(i) During adolescence, hormones cause the oil (sweat and sebaceous) glands in the skin to become more active. The extra oil, along with dirt and dead skin, blocks the tiny pores of the skin; bacteria grow there, causing pimples.

(ii) He can:

• wash his face gently with clean water and a mild soap two or three times a day;
• avoid touching, squeezing or picking the pimples;
• eat a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables and plenty of water, and avoid too much oily and junk food;
• keep his towel and pillow cover clean, and get enough sleep;
• see a doctor if the pimples are severe.

(i) Hormones make the skin's oil glands more active, blocking pores where bacteria grow. (ii) Wash the face regularly, don't squeeze pimples, eat healthy food, drink water and see a doctor if needed.

(ii) is the better option. Adolescents grow rapidly and need a balanced diet: carbohydrates (roti, rice) for energy, proteins (dal) for growth, and vitamins, minerals and fibre (vegetables and salad) for health. Plate (i) is junk food: it has too much fat, salt and sugar but few proteins, vitamins and minerals, and can cause obesity and other health problems.

(ii), the balanced home meal, because it gives energy, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibre needed for growth; (i) is junk food high in fat, salt and sugar.

(i) menstruation (ii) voice box (larynx) (iii) puberty (iv) alcohol and drugs

(i) menstruation (ii) voice box (iii) puberty (iv) alcohol, drugs

No, she is not fully correct. Adolescence brings physical changes, but also emotional and behavioural changes, and internal (biological) changes. A better description: "Adolescence is the period from childhood to adulthood (about 10 to 19 years). It brings physical changes (growth in height, body hair, change in voice, development of breasts, start of menstruation), emotional changes (mood swings, new feelings, need for independence) and behavioural changes (wanting to spend more time with friends, being more self-conscious), all controlled by hormones."

No: besides physical changes, adolescence also brings emotional and behavioural changes (mood swings, self-consciousness, need for independence), all controlled by hormones.

(i) Questions:

• Are mood swings, anger or anxiety always harmless, or can they affect studies and relationships?
• How should we handle peer pressure and new feelings?
• When should an adolescent talk to parents, teachers or a counsellor?

(ii) Questions:

• How do harmful substances like tobacco, alcohol and drugs affect the brain?
• Why do people find it hard to stop once they have started (addiction)?
• Is there any safe "first try"? What happens to the body even after one use?

These questions show that behavioural changes do need attention and support, and that addictive substances are very hard to stop once started; it is best to say NO from the start.

Ask how mood swings and peer pressure affect life and when to seek help; and how drugs affect the brain and why addiction makes stopping hard, showing that it is best never to start.

• Wanting more independence and making one's own decisions; sometimes arguing with parents.
• Spending more time with friends; peer pressure becomes strong.
• Being self-conscious about one's looks and body changes; wanting more privacy.
• Curiosity about new things, and sometimes taking risks.
• New feelings and attraction; sensitivity to criticism.
• Developing one's own opinions, interests and identity.

Wanting independence and privacy, more time with friends and peer pressure, self-consciousness about looks, curiosity and risk-taking, new feelings, and forming one's own identity.

• Change sanitary pads every 4–6 hours (or as needed).
• Wrap used pads in paper or the wrapper of the new pad and put them in a covered bin; never leave them in the open or flush them in the toilet.
• Wash hands with soap before and after changing pads.
• Keep the private parts clean by washing with clean water; wear clean cotton underclothes.
• Prefer biodegradable pads or reusable menstrual cups or cloth pads (washed and dried in sunlight).
• Ask the school to keep covered bins and, if possible, a pad-disposal machine in girls' toilets.
• Talk openly about menstruation; it is a natural process, not something to be ashamed of.

Change pads every 4–6 hours, wrap used pads and throw them in covered bins (never in the open or the toilet), wash hands, keep clean, use biodegradable or reusable products, and talk openly about it.

• Mary's swelling is likely a goitre, an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by a lack of iodine in the diet. So she was given medicine and asked to eat iodine-rich food (iodised salt, seafood).
• Manoj's bump is the Adam's apple: during puberty the voice box (larynx) grows larger in boys and sticks out at the front of the neck. This is a normal part of growing up, so no treatment is needed.

Mary has a goitre (thyroid swelling due to iodine deficiency), which needs treatment; Manoj's bump is the Adam's apple, the enlarged voice box, a normal change in boys at puberty.

(The voice changes in both, but it becomes much deeper and hoarser in boys, so it is mostly listed under boys.)

Boys: moustache, facial hair, deep change of voice. Girls: development of breasts. Both: pimples, pubic hair, armpit hair.

"Grow Healthy, Stay Happy!" – poster tips

• Eat a balanced diet: fruits, vegetables, dal, milk, whole grains; limit junk food and sugary drinks.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Exercise or play outdoors for at least an hour a day.
• Sleep 8–9 hours every night.
• Keep clean: bathe daily, wash your face, keep nails and hair clean; follow menstrual hygiene.
• Limit screen time.
• Say NO to tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
• Talk to parents, teachers or a counsellor about your feelings and worries.
• Manage stress with hobbies, yoga or meditation.

Tips: balanced diet, plenty of water, daily exercise, enough sleep, personal hygiene, limited screen time, saying no to tobacco, alcohol and drugs, and talking to trusted adults.