ical substances used to regulate organ function, prove most substantive to the testes, ovaries, pituitary gland, and the hypothalamus during the pubertal period. The "master gland," or the pituitary gland, and the male gonads (i.e., testicles) and female gonads (i.e., ovaries) are directly responsible for the secretion of sex hormones. With the use of follicle-stimulating hormone releasing factor (FSH-RF) and leuteinizing hormone releasing factor (LH-RF), the hypothalamus stimulates the release of FSH and LH from the pituitary gland. The male gonadal hormones are stimulated by interstitial-cell-stimulating hormone (ICSH) to produce androgens, which primarily mature in the male gender, and some estrogen. In contrast, the female gonadal hormones are stimulated by follicle-stimulating-hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), resulting in estrogens, progesterone and some androgens. The estrogens primarily mature in females, while the progesterone is important to the female's reproductive capability. In addition, prolactin, another pituitary hormone, which is important to the production of milk in the female breast, is produced following pregnancy. Contrary to popular belief, both male and female pubertals have estrogens and androgens when they complete the pubertal cycle. Despite this, estrogens dominate the hormonal production of the female sex glands, while androgens dominate in males. The sexual maturation of both male and female pubertals is significantly contingent upon androgens and estrogens (Lerner & Karabenick, 1974; Petersen, 1979).
The secretion of sex hormones is regulated by a negative feedback system, so that the pituitary gland monitors endocrine levels but is regulated by the hypothalamus. By means of the pituitary gland, a signal is sent via gonadotropin to the appropriate gland to stimulat
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