How do estrogen hormones contribute to changes during female puberty?

During female puberty, the ovaries begin secreting estrogens in significant quantities, which drive the development of secondary sex characteristics and physical maturation.12

Key contributions of estrogen during this period include:

• Reproductive Development: Estrogens stimulate the growth and maturation of the uterus, vagina, and mammary glands.13
• Body Composition: They promote the development of fat deposits on the hips and thighs, contributing to the transition from a slim, angular shape to a more rounded female contour.34
• Skeletal Changes: Estrogens act on the bones of the hip, causing the specifically female widening of the pelvis. They also stimulate bone formation and eventually trigger the closure of bone epiphyses, which brings linear growth to a halt at the end of puberty.13
• Growth Spurt: The adolescent growth spurt in females is attributed to the combined actions of estradiol, growth hormone, and androstenedione.1

These hormonal changes are regulated by the hypothalamus, which, upon reaching maturity, releases gonadotropin-releasing hormone to stimulate the production of estrogen by the ovaries.12