chorionic gonadotropin

or chorionic gonadotrophin

noun

1. Also called human chorionic gonadotropin. Biochemistry. a hormone, produced in the incipient placenta of pregnant women, that stimulates the production of estrogen and progesterone: its presence in blood or urine is an indication of pregnancy.
2. Pharmacology. a commercial form of this substance, obtained from the urine of pregnant mares, used in medicine in the treatment of testicular disorders and functional uterine bleeding, and in veterinary medicine in the treatment of cystic ovaries, especially in cows and mares.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chorionic gonadotropin¹

gonadotrop(ic) + -in ²

Example Sentences

Releana contains human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the placenta.

From Washington Times

“Does it really work? Is it safe? Is it a miracle? Or is it hype?” he asked in a 2011 episode of “The Dr. Oz Show” before introducing his audience to “human chorionic gonadotropin,” or HCG, and to a weight-loss doctor who promoted it.

From Washington Post

In a 16 September Nature paper, Polo’s team reported that these induced TSCs could develop into two major types of trophoblast cells and, like the cells surrounding an embryo, secrete human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone whose signals are key to maintaining a pregnancy.

From Science Magazine

So in a second experiment, they gave some rabbits the drug—but instead of having those rabbits mate with Frank, they injected the animals with human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that stimulates ovulation.

From Scientific American

And second, and just as insidious, he was injecting his patients with massive amounts of HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, the hormone that a woman’s body would produce if she were actually pregnant such that their bodies were mimicking pregnancy.

From MSNBC