Research uncovers puberty genes
Link12/13/2008
The biology behind the raging-hormone rite of passage known as puberty has long been a mystery. Just as the pimply, mood-swinging teen puzzles parents, the process that sets the teenager off has also stumped scientists.
Their work is based on the study of four Turkish families whose children, sexually speaking, will never grow up.
By hunting for the genetic flaws behind this rare condition, scientists identified two genes involved in the production of a crucial hormone in the brain that cues the body to bud.