A University of Cambridge team has identified the areas of the brain that change the most during the teenage years.
Brain scans showed that they are the areas associated with complex thought processes.
The scientists also discovered a link between teenage brain development and mental illness, such as schizophrenia.
The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
The team from Cambridge's department of psychiatry scanned the brains of 300 people between the ages of 14 and 24.
While the areas associated with the basic functioning of the body such as vision, hearing and movement are fully developed by adolescence, the areas associated with complex thought and decision making are still changing.
These areas are nerve centres with lots of connections to and from other key areas.
You can think of the brain as a global airline network that's made up of small infrequently used airports and huge hubs like Heathrow where there is very high traffic.
The brain uses a similar set up to co-ordinate our thoughts and actions.
During adolescence, this network of big hubs is consolidated and strengthened. It's a bit like how Heathrow or JFK have become gradually busier over the years.
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