Why do boys suddenly grow taller?
Boys start growing taller a couple of years later than girls. The growth spurt in young boys can come quite fast around the age of 12 or 13. This peaks around 14 years of age when boys start growing as much as 4 inches every year! By this time, you start raising your heads to talk to them. Your guy pals may start to look a little better during this time too. Their arms and legs will definitely grow longer and they no longer look silly playing basketball. Just like young girls, it is the high levels of growth hormones and a little bit of estrogen that are responsible for this sudden growth in young boys. Yes, young boys produce estrogen too. In young boys however, they definitely have more male hormones called testosterone which make them appear tougher and more aggressive. They can get into fights easily and enjoy contact sports during this time.
What made my brother’s voice change?
You may laugh at your guy friends whose voices sounded squeaky when they were 9 or 10. This will not last long and the next time you hear these friends of yours, you might not even recognize them over the phone. The voice box or larynx which is found in our throats opens to our lungs and is lined by two thin structures in its opening, acting like curtains. These structures are your vocal cords and they move back and forth as you speak and sing. Ask your brother to stretch his neck as he looks upward. That swelling in the middle of his neck is what some call the “Adam’s apple” which is actually the front part of the voice box or larynx. As young boys grow up around the age of 13 or 14, testosterone makes the vocal cords grow thicker and larger. It also makes the voice box grow longer and this swelling is more obvious in young men. The thick vocal cords move slower and when this happens the voice becomes much deeper.
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is the male hormone released by the male sex organ called the testes. Testosterone begins to rise during puberty when stimulating hormones begin to tickle the testes to start producing testosterone. Testosterone makes a boy’s penis grow bigger. It also causes the scrotum to change in appearance, making it look wrinkled with a darker color. With this testosterone surge, the testes also begin to grow bigger and start producing sperm. During this time, young boys become more interested with girls and sex. They begin to form their own groups and isolate themselves from the girls. They seem more active and a little violent. They may get into contact sports like wrestling or football and enjoy every minute of it.
What are the male sex organs?
The penis is the best known of them all. It grows in length and size as the level of testosterone begins to increase during puberty. The penis is where sperm passes through during sex. It is the male sex organ that comes into contact with the vagina during sex.
The scrotum is the wrinkly dark or reddish sac found below a man’s penis. The scrotum contains the testes. The scrotum hangs outside the body to keep the testes cool. A cooler temperature is important to keep the good quality of the sperm produced in the testes.
The testes are the round and solid structures found inside the scrotum. They produce the sperm and the sex hormones such as testosterone in boys and men.
What are wet dreams?
As young boys begin to reach sexual maturity, they may begin to experience wet dreams. Wet dreams are actually moments of ejaculation when a white jellylike fluid called semen comes out of the penis. This usually takes place during sleep. Usually, guys would not know this has happened until they wake up. Having wet dreams is one sign that a boy is getting closer to becoming a man physically.
Ejaculation
During ejaculation, nerves send signals to the testes to start releasing sperm outside the body. In the first part of ejaculation, sperm is mixed with fluid from the prostate gland and seminal vesicles. These structures are special and are only found in men. The prostate gland is chestnut shaped and is found near the urinary bladder. The seminal vesicles are narrow tubes also found behind the urinary bladder. Fluid from the prostate gland and seminal vesicles provide protection and nutrients to the sperm as they leave a man’s body. These fluids contain special proteins and vitamins to prepare the sperm for the hostile world that will meet them as they are released into the vagina.
Erection
This happens when the penis becomes hard and stiff. When a man is sexually excited, the brain sends signals to the nerves supplying the penis, causing an erection. Blood flow increases in the penis. This increase in blood flow expands the muscles of the penis making the penis appear larger and longer. Erection does not only happen when a man is sexually excited. A full bladder and intense emotions can also cause an erection.
Semen
Semen is the white milky fluid that comes out of the penis during ejaculation. It contains sperm and fluid that comes from the prostate gland and seminal vesicles. When a young boy starts ejaculating during puberty, semen may not contain sperm yet. If it does, the number of sperm may be too small and most of these may not be healthy enough. The semen may even appear jellylike and may be transparent or clear. About two years after the first ejaculation, semen may contain a good number of healthy sperm to make a woman pregnant.
Sperm
Young girls release eggs in their bodies while young men produce sperm. While women release only one egg at a time, young men release millions of sperm each time they ejaculate! But only one special sperm gets to fuse with the egg! You need an instrument called a microscope to see sperm. They are very tiny. They actually look like tadpoles with their round heads and tails. Their tails move fast from side to side, making sure they reach the egg which is their primary target.
