The finding of a concise definition for puberty has proved to be a difficult
task for the scientific community and it remains an intense matter of discussion.
Nowadays, there is consensus that puberty is a dynamic process influenced by many
factors. In this chapter, we will discuss some of the most relevant biochemical markers
of puberty and briefly emphasize their relevance in the development and onset of
puberty. We will expose the neuroendocrine control that lies behind this very complex
hormonally-dependent process. In addition, since puberty is definitely not experienced
in the same way by all individuals, we will also discuss genetic, metabolic and
nutritional factors as key modulators for the control of puberty onset. The final section
of this chapter is dedicated to a brief overview on puberty-associated disorders,
pinpointing the clinical features that should be taken into consideration and the
deleterious signals that may occur until sexual maturation is achieved.
Keywords: Anti-müllerian hormone, GABA, Glutamate, Growth Hormone,
Insulin Growth Factor Binding Protein-3, Insulin Growth Factor-1, Kisspeptin,
Leptin, Melatonin, Tanner Stages.
