Human chorionic gonadotropin

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/human-chorionic-gonadotropin

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the molecular composition?Heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone with unique alpha and beta subunits
2. What is the primary site of production?Syncytiotrophoblast cells of the developing placenta
3. What is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)?Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a hormone made by special cells around the embryo after it attaches to the uterus. It tells the mother's body that she is pregnant.
4. How does hCG help a pregnancy stay alive?hCG keeps a part of the ovary called the corpus luteum from breaking down. This lets the corpus luteum keep making progesterone and estrogen, which keep the uterus ready for the baby.

Glycoprotein hormone: A hormone composed of protein and carbohydrate chains, influencing various bodily functions.
Corpus luteum: A temporary endocrine structure in the ovary that produces progesterone and estrogen.
Paraneoplastic syndromes: A group of rare disorders triggered by an abnormal immune response to a tumor.