PHYSICAL GROWTH,

MATURATION AND AGING

FRANCIS FRIMPONG
 Objectives
■ Describe the course of body growth and aging.
■ Explain the influence of extrinsic factors on
growth and development and the increasing role
of extrinsic factors as individuals proceed through
life span .
■ Identify typical patterns of growth and
corresponding potential of skills acquisition while
recognizing individual variations.
■ Distinguish between growth and maturation
 Physical Growth
■ Quantitative increase in size or body mass resulting
from an increase in complete, already formed body
parts (Timiras, 1972) 
■ Growth is change in size, in proportion,
disappearance of old features and acquisition of new
ones
– Humans growth period: conception to late adolescence or
early 20s.
– Changes in size of tissues after physical growth period are
described with other terms.
 Maturation
The progress towards maturity, the state of
optimal functional integration of an
individual’s body systems and the ability to
reproduce.

Qualitative advance in biological makeup –

Cell, organ, or system advancement in
biochemical composition (Teeple, 1978)
 Development
■ It is the process of functional and
physiological maturation of the individual.
– progressive increase in skill and capacity to
function.
– related to maturation and myelination of the
nervous system.
– psychological, emotional and social
changes.
 Aging
The process of growing older regardless of
chronological age, or the changes that occur with
the passage of time that lead to a loss of
adaptability or full function and eventually to death
(Spirduso, 1995).
As physical education teachers, understanding what
drives change in one part of the life span of helps in
understanding change in another part of the life
span.
 A Paradox in Development

Universality –Individuals in a species show

great similarity in their development.

Variability –Individual differences exist.

 Growth and Aging Change
Individual Constraints
■ Genetic and extrinsic factors combine to
influence growth and aging.
■ We observe patterns in growth and aging.
– Universality: patterns that hold for all humans
– Specificity: individual variation

■ Educators and therapists can make tasks

developmentally appropriate.
 Prenatal Development

■ Early development is controlled by genes.

– Normal development
– Inherited abnormal development

■ The embryo or foetus is sensitive to extrinsic

factors.
– Positive effects
– Negative effects
 Embryonic Development

■ Conception to 8 weeks
■ Differentiation of cells to form specific
tissues and organs
■ Limbs formed at 4 weeks
■ Human form noticeable at 8 weeks
 Foetal Development
■ 8 weeks to birth
■ Continued growth by hyperplasia (cell
number) and hypertrophy (cell size)
■ Cephalocaudal (head to toe) and
proximodorsal (near to far)
■ Plasticity (capability of taking on a new
function)
 Foetal Nourishment

■ Oxygen and nutrients diffuse between foetal

and maternal blood in placenta.

■ Poor maternal health status can affect foetus.

Abnormal Prenatal Development

■ Source of abnormal development can be

genetic or extrinsic.

■ Congenital defects (present at birth) can

derive from genetic or extrinsic source.
 Genetic Causes of
Abnormal Development
■ Can be dominant disorders (defective gene
from one parent) or recessive disorders
(defective gene from each parent).

■ Can result from mutation of a gene.

■ Effects on growth and maturation are

variable.(continued)
 Genetic Causes of Abnormal
Development (continued)

■ What are some genetic disabilities?

■ What effects does each have on

normal growth and development?
 Extrinsic Causes of
Abnormal Development
■ Extrinsic factors can affect foetus through
nourishment or physical environment.
■ Teratogens delivered through nourishment
system act as malformation-producing agents.
■ Some teratogenic effects result from too much
of a substance, some from too little.
 Extrinsic Causes of Abnormal
Development (continued)
■ Placenta screens some substances (e.g., large
viruses) but not all harmful ones.
■ Harmful environmental factors include
pressure, temperature, X and gamma rays,
oxygen-deficient atmospheres, pollutants.
■ Tissues undergoing rapid development at time of
exposure are most vulnerable.
 Teratogens

■ What are some substances pregnant women are

told to avoid?

■ What environments or situations are pregnant

women encouraged to avoid?

■ What substances or supplements are women

encouraged to take during pregnancy?
 Examples of Teratogens
■ Nutritional deficiencies;
– Hypervitaminosis; eg excess vitamin D.
– Drugs; eg. Cocaine; Alcohol

■ Infections;
– Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
– affects heights, weights, and head circumference.
– causes head and facial abnormalities, cardiac
defects, impaired growth, develop mental
problems, cataracts, deafness.
 Postnatal Development
■ Overall growth follows sigmoid (S-shaped)
pattern.

■ Timing of spurts and steady periods can vary

between individuals.

■ Timing differs between the sexes.

 Sigmoid
Growth Curve
 Height

 Follows sigmoid pattern.

 Girls Boys
− Peak height velocity occurs at 11.5 to 12 years.
− Growth in height tapers off around 14, ends around 16.
 Boys
− Peak height velocity occurs at 13.5 to 14 years.
− Growth in height tapers off around 17, ends around 18.
 Long growth period of males contributes to
absolute height differences.
Velocity Curves for Height
 Individual Variation

■ Average ages for peak height velocity and tapering

of growth are based on groups.

■ Individuals can differ from the averages.

■In what ways can individuals vary from the

average pattern?
 Weight

■ Follows sigmoid pattern.

■ Is susceptible to extrinsic factors, especially

diet and exercise.

■ Individuals grow up, then fill out: Peak weight

velocity follows peak height velocity (by 2.5–5
months in boys, 3.5–10.5 in girls).
 Relative Growth
■ Body as a whole follows sigmoid pattern; specific
parts, tissues, and organs have different growth
rates.

■ Body proportions change from head-heavy, short-

legged form at birth to adult proportions.

■ In adolescence, boys increase in shoulder breadth.

 Physiological Maturation

■ As children and youth become older, they grow in

size and mature.

■ Children vary in maturation rate.

■ It is difficult to infer maturity from age alone, size

alone, or age and size together.
 Secondary Sex Characteristics

■ Characteristics appear as a function of

maturation.

■ They appear at a younger age in early

maturers.

■ Any experience with preteens having secondary

sex characteristics among.
 Extrinsic Influences on
Postnatal Growth

■ Individuals are especially sensitive during periods

of rapid growth.

■ Catch-up growth demonstrates extrinsic influences.

■ What extrinsic factors are most likely to affect

growth during infancy? During the adolescent
growth spurt?
 Adulthood and Aging

■ Height is stable in adulthood but may decrease

in older adulthood.
– Compression of cartilage pads
– Osteoporosis

■ Average adult starts gaining weight in the 20s.

– Diet and exercise
– Loss of muscle mass