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Sexual maturity is the capability of anorganism toreproduce. In humans, it is related to bothpuberty andadulthood.[1]Puberty is the biological process of sexual maturation, whileadulthood, the condition of being socially recognized as an independent person capable of giving consent and taking responsibility, generally implies sexual maturity (certaindisorders of sexual development notwithstanding), but depends on other criteria, defined by specificcultural expectations.[1][2]
Mostmulticellular organisms are unable tosexually reproduce at birth (animals) or germination (e.g. plants): depending on the species, it may be days, weeks, or years until they have developed enough to be able to do so; in addition, certain cues may trigger an organism to become sexually mature. These may be external, such as drought, or fire, that triggers sexual maturation of certain plants, or internal, such as percentage of body fat (certain animals). Internal cues are not to be confused withhormones, the chemical signals that initiate cellular processes leading to sexual maturity, but the production and secretion of hormones is triggered by such cues. In some species, immature males may delay sexual maturation in the presence of another sexually mature male, as in the malechicken (rooster), due to the intense, often lethal, combat engaged in by mature males. The femalehoneybee only becomes sexually mature if it is fed a special substance ("royal jelly") during the larval stage.
Sexual maturity is brought about by a maturing of thereproductive organs and the production ofgametes. It may also be accompanied by agrowth spurt or other physical changes which distinguish the immature organism from its adult form. In animals these are termedsecondary sex characteristics, and often represent an increase insexual dimorphism.[clarification needed]
After sexual maturity is achieved,[clarification needed] some organisms becomeinfertile, or evenchange their sex. Some organisms arehermaphrodites and may or may not be able to "completely" mature and/or to produce viable offspring. Also, while in many organisms sexual maturity is strongly linked to age, many other factors are involved, and it is possible for some to display most or all of the characteristics of the adult form without being sexually mature. Conversely it is also possible for the "immature" form of an organism to reproduce. This is calledprogenesis, in which sexual development occurs faster than other physiological development (in contrast, the termneoteny refers to when non-sexual development is slowed – but the result is the same - the retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood).[citation needed]
In some species, there is a difference between puberty and sexual maturity. For example, inbulls, puberty is characterized by the accelerated growth of the genital system, an increase inluteinizing hormone (LH) secretion, and the onset ofspermatogenesis. Sexual maturity, however, signifies the attainment of full reproductive capacity, which may take up to 6–9 months after puberty.[3]
The definition of puberty alone can encompass the process of sexual maturation, but a more expansive approach is to think of puberty in combination with the term adolescence. This differentiation prompts the practitioner to consider the psychological, behavioral, and social changes of the adolescent who is experiencing pubertal development.
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