Human chorionic gonadotropin
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced primarily in pregnancy that is made by the developing embryo after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast (part of the placenta). Its role is to prevent the disintegration of the corpus luteum of the ovary and thereby maintain progesterone production that is critical for a pregnancy in humans. hCG may have additional functions; for instance, it is thought that it affects the immune tolerance of the pregnancy.
Pronunciation
Human chorionic gonadotropin is pronounced as hyoo-muhn kawr-ee-on-ik goh-nad-uh-troh-pin.
Etymology
The term "chorionic gonadotropin" comes from the Greek words "chorion" (outer fetal membrane), "gonad" (sex gland), and "tropin" (to turn or change), reflecting the hormone's role in pregnancy.
Related Terms
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)
- Luteinizing hormone (LH)
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- Pregnancy test
- Biochemical pregnancy
- Molar pregnancy
- Ectopic pregnancy
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Human chorionic gonadotropin
- Wikipedia's article - Human chorionic gonadotropin
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski