Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by increased risk-taking, impulsivity, and poor decision-making, leading to higher rates of injury, violence, and substance abuse. Traditional explanations for these behaviors have failed to account for the nonlinear changes in behavior observed during adolescence compared to childhood and adulthood. Recent research suggests that these changes are due to a heightened responsiveness to rewards and immature impulse control, with differential development of limbic reward systems relative to top-down control systems. This imbalance is exacerbated in adolescents predisposed to risk-taking, increasing the likelihood of poor outcomes. Neuroimaging studies show that the prefrontal cortex matures later than limbic regions, leading to a bias toward limbic control during adolescence. This developmental pattern is supported by evidence from both human and animal studies, indicating that adolescents show exaggerated activation of the nucleus accumbens in response to rewards compared to children and adults. These findings suggest that adolescents are more prone to risky behaviors due to the imbalance between limbic and prefrontal control systems. The development of goal-directed behavior involves the suppression of inappropriate thoughts and actions in favor of goal-oriented ones, particularly in the presence of incentives. This ability develops throughout childhood and adolescence, with the prefrontal cortex maturing later than other brain regions. Impulsivity tends to decrease with age, while risk-taking increases during adolescence, associated with subcortical reward systems. Neuroimaging studies reveal that gray matter volume follows an inverted U-shape pattern during adolescence, with white matter volume increasing linearly. These structural changes are accompanied by functional and connectivity changes, reflecting ongoing myelination and synaptic pruning. DTI studies show that white matter tracts continue to develop into adulthood, with specific tracts correlated with cognitive control. Functional MRI studies indicate that adolescents recruit more diffuse prefrontal regions than adults, with activity becoming more focal with age. These findings suggest that adolescents lack the cognitive control necessary for optimal decision-making, leading to increased risk-taking and impulsive behaviors. However, individual differences in reward processing and impulsivity may influence the extent of these behaviors. The neurobiological model proposed in this review suggests that adolescence is a transitional period characterized by the development of reward-seeking and risk-taking behaviors. Individual differences in reward processing and impulsivity may explain why some adolescents are more prone to risky behaviors than others. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual variability when examining complex brain-behavior relationships in developmental populations. Overall, adolescence is a period of significant brain development, with unique neural substrates and developmental trajectories for risk-taking and reward processing.Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by increased risk-taking, impulsivity, and poor decision-making, leading to higher rates of injury, violence, and substance abuse. Traditional explanations for these behaviors have failed to account for the nonlinear changes in behavior observed during adolescence compared to childhood and adulthood. Recent research suggests that these changes are due to a heightened responsiveness to rewards and immature impulse control, with differential development of limbic reward systems relative to top-down control systems. This imbalance is exacerbated in adolescents predisposed to risk-taking, increasing the likelihood of poor outcomes. Neuroimaging studies show that the prefrontal cortex matures later than limbic regions, leading to a bias toward limbic control during adolescence. This developmental pattern is supported by evidence from both human and animal studies, indicating that adolescents show exaggerated activation of the nucleus accumbens in response to rewards compared to children and adults. These findings suggest that adolescents are more prone to risky behaviors due to the imbalance between limbic and prefrontal control systems. The development of goal-directed behavior involves the suppression of inappropriate thoughts and actions in favor of goal-oriented ones, particularly in the presence of incentives. This ability develops throughout childhood and adolescence, with the prefrontal cortex maturing later than other brain regions. Impulsivity tends to decrease with age, while risk-taking increases during adolescence, associated with subcortical reward systems. Neuroimaging studies reveal that gray matter volume follows an inverted U-shape pattern during adolescence, with white matter volume increasing linearly. These structural changes are accompanied by functional and connectivity changes, reflecting ongoing myelination and synaptic pruning. DTI studies show that white matter tracts continue to develop into adulthood, with specific tracts correlated with cognitive control. Functional MRI studies indicate that adolescents recruit more diffuse prefrontal regions than adults, with activity becoming more focal with age. These findings suggest that adolescents lack the cognitive control necessary for optimal decision-making, leading to increased risk-taking and impulsive behaviors. However, individual differences in reward processing and impulsivity may influence the extent of these behaviors. The neurobiological model proposed in this review suggests that adolescence is a transitional period characterized by the development of reward-seeking and risk-taking behaviors. Individual differences in reward processing and impulsivity may explain why some adolescents are more prone to risky behaviors than others. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual variability when examining complex brain-behavior relationships in developmental populations. Overall, adolescence is a period of significant brain development, with unique neural substrates and developmental trajectories for risk-taking and reward processing.