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the white insulating coat of myelin

on the axons that carry signals between nerve cells continues to accumulate,

a process not completed until the early 20s

Among the last connections to be fully established are the links between the prefrontal cortex

seat of

judgment and problem-solving, and the emotional centers in the limbic system, especially the amygdala.

The adolescent brain pours out adrenal stress hormones, sex hormones,

and growth hormone, which in turn influence brain development.

Sex hormones act in the limbic system and in the raphe nucleus, source of the

neurotransmitter serotonin

things can go wrong in many ways,

Stress can retard the growth of the hippocampus, which consolidates

memories.