When do Males and Females Stop Growing
There are many differences between males and females. They have different anatomy and many would say that they think entirely differently from each other too. Both male and females go through the process of growing from an infant into a child and onto a fully grown adult where they finally reach their maximum height. In general males are taller than females, but this is not always the case. So when do males and females stop growing? Read this article to find out.
When do males and females stop growing?
In both males and females the growth process stops when the epiphyseal bone plates are completely sealed. The epiphyseal bone plates are located on both ends of each bone in the body. The epiphyseal bone plates cause the growth and expansion of the bones until maturation occurs. Specific hormones, particularly the sex hormones, contribute the sealing of the epiphyseal bone plates which occurs approximately 3 to 5 years after the sex hormones have been released in the body. So the body stops growing approximately 3 to 5 years after puberty occurs.
Females are thought to stop growing before their male counterparts; this may be due to the fact that generally females begin puberty before males. Studies show that females stop growing between the ages of 15-17 years.
It is commonly thought that males stop growing at a later point in life than females and this is generally correct. Studies have shown that most males stop growing between 18 to 20 years of age. This is when the epiphyseal bone plates stop growing and become bones themselves.
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