The period of life, when the body undergoes changes leading to reproductive maturity is called __________.

The correct answer is adolescence.

Key Points

•  Growing up is a natural process. The period of life, when the body undergoes changes, leading to reproductive maturity, is called adolescence.
• Adolescence is a phase of the life of a person when he is no more a child and not yet an adult. This is a critical time in life because the experiences, knowledge, and skills acquired in adolescence have important implications in adulthood.
• Adolescence begins around the age of 11 and lasts up to 18 or 19 years of age. The period of adolescence varies from person to person.
• The human body undergoes several changes during adolescence. These changes mark the onset of puberty. Puberty ends when an adolescent reaches reproductive maturity. ​

Additional Information

• Infancy: From birth up to the 2nd year of life, the stage is known as infancy. Babies grow very rapidly in size during their first two years. The acquisition of motor skills like holding things, crawling, walking proceeds from simple to complex.
• Childhood: It extends from 2 to 12 years and is generally divided into early and late childhood.
• Adulthood: It is the stage where growth is complete and the person assumes various responsibilities. Starting around 18 years it extends till middle age which is around 45 years.