As a child, alex was short for his age. but during his teenage years, his height increased and he surpassed most of his friends. what must have occurred to create this growth spurt?

The answer to the question of why Alex suddenly surpassed his other friends in height, when as a child he was one of the shortest ones, and what explains this sudden growth spurt, is, that Alex experienced what is known as puberty, the time during which the human body, and depending on genetical and hereditary conditions, will initiate a rapid development of physical aspects, due to the interaction of different hormones.

Explanation:

Puberty is the developmental stage that characterizes adolescence. It is the moment in which the human body, under genetical, hormonal, and hereditary conditions, starts to experience rapid growth of its individual organs, and also its limbs, to adjust to the new stage of near adulthood. During this time, children, especially men, particularly experience a lengthening of their physical bodies, and depending on heredity and the play of hormones, some will grow even faster, and more, than peers. In this case, Alex has experienced this; the onset of puberty.