The limbic system contains several important parts:
Home of Impulses to Eat, Have Sex, Fight, or Flee
The amygdala is responsible for hair-trigger reactions from teens. In boys, it is over-stimulated by the increased presence of testosterone, which triggers surges of anger, aggression, fear, and sexual interest.
Memory Storage Files
A teen’s hippocampus is much more vulnerable to damage by drugs and alcohol use than an adult’s.
Hormone Center
The hypothalamus is the control center for hunger, thirst, sexual arousal, and for the body’s endocrine (hormone) system. It plays a key role in triggering those “raging hormones.” It also plays a role in sexual orientation, sex drive, and sexual behavior. This is partly why teens are besieged with impulses and barraged with powerful urges, mood swings, and confusing new feelings.
The anterior hypothalamus is the same size in both sexes until they reach puberty. Then a boy’s becomes larger, which causes a preoccupation with sexual thoughts and fantasies. Young girls, on the other hand, tend to focus on the relational aspects of sexual attraction, such as spending time together and talking. So we now know it’s more than just hormones, it’s due to a structural difference in the brain.
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The Emotional Core: The Limbic System
The limbic system contains several important parts:
Home of Impulses to Eat, Have Sex, Fight, or Flee
The amygdala is responsible for hair-trigger reactions from teens. In boys, it is over-stimulated by the increased presence of testosterone, which triggers surges of anger, aggression, fear, and sexual interest.
Memory Storage Files
A teen’s hippocampus is much more vulnerable to damage by drugs and alcohol use than an adult’s.
Hormone Center
The hypothalamus is the control center for hunger, thirst, sexual arousal, and for the body’s endocrine (hormone) system. It plays a key role in triggering those “raging hormones.” It also plays a role in sexual orientation, sex drive, and sexual behavior. This is partly why teens are besieged with impulses and barraged with powerful urges, mood swings, and confusing new feelings.
The anterior hypothalamus is the same size in both sexes until they reach puberty. Then a boy’s becomes larger, which causes a preoccupation with sexual thoughts and fantasies. Young girls, on the other hand, tend to focus on the relational aspects of sexual attraction, such as spending time together and talking. So we now know it’s more than just hormones, it’s due to a structural difference in the brain.