IntroductionFirst, puberty should be defined as the complex process by which boys and girls mature sexually to be capable and ready to reproduce physically, cognitively and socially/emotionally. During this time, the bodies of girls (between eight and fourteen years old) and boys (between nine and fifteen years old) release hormones causing a multitude of changes. Precocious puberty is the abnormally early onset of puberty, before the age of eight in girls and nine in boys. This early onset of maturation in girls and boys has many effects, including physical, cognitive, and social/emotional, which can lead to certain problems. Additionally, there are two different types of PP, namely central precocious puberty (gonadotropin-dependent) and peripheral precocious puberty (gonadotropin-independent). Gonadotropin dependence is when the pituitary gland is stimulated to produce gonadotropins (hormones). Then, these hormones cause the gonads of both sexes to produce sex hormones responsible for the advancement of puberty. While gonadotropins are independent when sex hormones are responsible for the symptoms, in this case the pituitary gland is not. True CPP/PPP is responsible for significant secondary sexual characteristics, accelerated bone age, shorter final stature, disproportionate body onset, and psychological problems. With this in mind, this article will describe the characteristics of early puberty, including:1. Causes2. Symptoms3. Diagnosis4. Physical effects5. Cognitive effects6. Social/emotional effects7. TreatmentsAt the end, all aspects above will be explored. Yet, like most medical topics and pathologies, PP is still the subject of research and scientists are discovering new compounds as they explore.Cau...... middle of article.. ....iladelphia | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Precocious puberty (early puberty) | CHOP | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Accessed March 26, 2014, from http://www.chop.edu/healthinfo/precocious-puberty-early-puberty.htmlThe New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Puberty before age 10 – A new “normal”? -NYTimes.com. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/magazine/puberty-before-age-10-a-new-normal.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0WebMD - Best Information. Better health. Precocious puberty: causes and consequences of precocious puberty. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/children/guide/causes-symptomsWebMD - Better information. Better health. Precocious puberty: diagnosis and treatment of precocious puberty. Accessed March 26, 2014 from http://www.webmd.com/children/features/diagnosis-treatment