A hormone produced by the placenta, which suppresses the mother’s usual menstrual cycle during pregnancy. It is found in the urine during pregnancy, and can be given by injection to encourage ovulation and help a woman to become pregnant.
A glycoprotein hormone secreted by the placenta in early pregnancy, and stimulating the corpus luteum within the ovary to secrete estrogens, progesterone, and relaxing. The hormone is essential for the maintenance of pregnancy up to about 6—8 weeks of gestation. A radio-immunoassay can be used to detect its presence, and pregnancy can be diagnosed as early as six days after conception by testing for it in the urine. Some tumours also secrete human chorionic gonadotrophin, particularly hydatidiform mole, which produces large amounts.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone produced by the placenta during early pregnancy. Its role is to stimulate the ovaries, encouraging the production of estrogen and progesterone, which are essential for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. In some instances, HCG may also be produced in non-pregnant women due to a choriocarcinoma, a cancerous tumor of the uterus, as well as by certain testicular tumors in men.
HCG is eliminated from the body through urine, and the presence of HCG in urine is the fundamental principle behind pregnancy tests. In medical practice, HCG extracted from the urine of pregnant women is administered through injections to treat specific types of infertility. It can assist in inducing ovulation in women who have experienced ovulation difficulties and may also enhance sperm production in men. Additionally, HCG is sometimes used to prevent miscarriage in women who have inadequate production of progesterone.