| lenticular vesicle | In the embryo, the ectodermal invagination that forms opposite the optic cup; it is the primordium of the lens of the eye. Synonym: lenticular vesicle. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| fusogenic vesicle | <cell biology> A liposome (artificially-created vesicle) whose outer wall contains molecules (such as the F protein) that cause cell fusion, especially fusion between somatic cells (any cell that is not a gamete). (09 Oct 1997) |
| gonadotropin, human chorionic | A human hormone made by chorionic cells (in the foetal part of the placenta), hCG is directed at the gonads and stimulates them. HCG becomes detectable (by immunologic means) within days of fertilization and forms the foundation of the common pregnancy tests. The level of hCG in maternal serum also enters as one component in the double and the triple screens used during pregnancy to assign risks of Down syndrome and other foetal disorders. (12 Dec 1998) |
| chorionic | Referring to the chorion or membrane enclosing the foetus. (09 Oct 1997) |
| chorionic ectoderm | <embryology> Extra embryonic layer of epithelium that forms around the mammalian blastocyst and attaches the embryo to the uterus wall. Forms the outer layer of the chorion and together with maternal tissue will form the placenta. (18 Nov 1997) |
| chorionic epithelioma | An obsolete term for choriocarcinoma. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chorionic gonadotrophic hormone | A glycoprotein with a carbohydrate fraction composed of d-galactose and hexosamine, extracted from the urine of pregnant women and produced by the placental trophoblastic cells; its most important role appears to be stimulation, during the first trimester, of ovarian secretion of the oestrogen and progesterone required for the integrity of conceptus; it appears to play no significant role in the last two trimesters of pregnancy, as the oestrogen and progesterone are then formed by the placenta. Synonym: anterior pituitary-like hormone, choriogonadotropin, chorionic gonadotropic hormone, chorionic gonadotrophic hormone, placenta gonadotropin, placentagonadotropin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chorionic gonadotrophin | <hormone, tumour marker> A hormone that is produced by the developing placenta and by the fertilized egg after implantation in the uterine wall. This hormone is measured in the blood to determine pregnancy. Human chorionic gonadotrophin increases in quantity through the first trimester of pregnancy and begin to taper off after 85 days. Serum human chorionic gonadotrophin testing is accurate 48 hour post conception. Urine human chorionic gonadotrophin testing is a popular method of home pregnancy determination as human chorionic gonadotrophin can be detected in urine. Acronym: HCG (18 Nov 1997) |
| chorionic gonadotropin | A glycoprotein with a carbohydrate fraction composed of d-galactose and hexosamine, extracted from the urine of pregnant women and produced by the placental trophoblastic cells; its most important role appears to be stimulation, during the first trimester, of ovarian secretion of the oestrogen and progesterone required for the integrity of conceptus; it appears to play no significant role in the last two trimesters of pregnancy, as the oestrogen and progesterone are then formed by the placenta. Synonym: anterior pituitary-like hormone, choriogonadotropin, chorionic gonadotropic hormone, chorionic gonadotrophic hormone, placenta gonadotropin, placentagonadotropin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chorionic gonadotropin, beta subunit, human | The beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin. It is used as a clinical marker to facilitate early detection of normal pregnancy and significantly contributes to the diagnosis of various pregnancy-related disorders, such as ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, hydatidiform mole, choriocarcinoma, or trisomy 21. Further, determination of this marker is immensely helpful to guide curative intervention in testicular cancer. Other possible clinical uses includes as a marker of cancers of the bladder, pancreas, or biliary tract. (scan j clin lab invest suppl 1993;216:97-104) (12 Dec 1998) |
| chorionic gonadotropin, human | A human hormone made by chorionic cells (in the foetal part of the placenta), hCG is directed at the gonads and stimulates them. HCG becomes detectable (by immunologic means) within days of fertilization and forms the foundation of the common pregnancy tests. The level of hCG in maternal serum also enters as one component in the double and the triple screens used during pregnancy to assign risks of Down syndrome and other foetal disorders. (12 Dec 1998) |
| chorionic gonadotropin unit | The specific gonadotropic activity of 0.1 mg of the standard preparation of chorionic gonadotropin originating from the urine or placentas of pregnant women. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chorionic growth hormone-prolactin | human placental lactogen |
| chorionic plate | That portion of the chorionic wall in the region of its uterine attachment; it consists of the mesoderm that lines the chorionic vesicle and, on the maternal side, of the trophoblast that lines the intervillous spaces; in the last half of gestation, the mesodermal connective tissue is largely replaced by fibrinoid material, and the amniotic membrane is adherent to the foetal side of the plate. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chorionic villi | <anatomy> The vascular projections from the chorion. (27 Sep 1997) |