GnRH is released in pulses to stimulate LH and FSH release, which ultimately stimulate sex steroid production and, in turn, will suppress gonadotrophin secretion, as well as cause the physical changes of puberty. This negative feedback loop remains sensitive to circulating sex steroids throughout prepuberty, but at the time of puberty becomes less sensitive, thereby allowing concentrations of sex steroids to increase without completely suppressing gonadotrophin secretion.
After midpuberty, positive feedback occurs in females where oestrogen secretion at mid cycle increases gonadotrophin secretion, there by further increasing oestrogen secretion and allowing ovulation. Thus, throughout pubertal development, other control mechanisms are superimposed upon basic episodic secretion of GnRH and gonadotrophins.
