What is Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)?

LH-like hormone that sustains the corpus luteum in early pregnancy. Structurally it is Glycoprotein hormone (α/β heterodimer).

How strong is the evidence for hCG?

PeptideHormone grades hCG at the "Established" evidence tier — its mechanism and core effects are settled across the peer-reviewed literature. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.

What is the half-life of hCG?

The reported circulating half-life of hCG is ~24–36 h.

Human chorionic gonadotropinhCG

LH-like hormone that sustains the corpus luteum in early pregnancy.

EndogenousEstablished

An embryonic signal that borrows the LH receptor to keep a pregnancy going — biology reusing a channel rather than building one.

Identity

Class: Glycoprotein hormone (α/β heterodimer)
Source: Placental syncytiotrophoblast
Receptor: LH/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR)

Key properties

Evidence floorClinicalREF1CLIN1

Molecular weight

≈ 36,700 Da

REF

Half-life (native)

~24–36 h

CLIN

Model dosing

Approximate values for the native hormone; engineered analogs are often deliberately larger and far longer-acting. Each figure carries its own provenance tier, and the floor is the weakest of them - the Standard.

Mechanism

Produced by the placenta in early pregnancy, hCG acts on the same LHCGR receptor as LH to maintain the corpus luteum and its progesterone output until the placenta takes over. Its presence is the basis of pregnancy testing.

Reference notes

hCG and LH share the LHCGR receptor — functionally hCG provides an LH-like signal.
Its longer half-life than LH suits the sustained support the corpus luteum needs.
Detection of the hCG beta subunit underlies pregnancy tests.

Common questions

What is Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)?: LH-like hormone that sustains the corpus luteum in early pregnancy. Structurally it is Glycoprotein hormone (α/β heterodimer).
How does hCG work?: Produced by the placenta in early pregnancy, hCG acts on the same LHCGR receptor as LH to maintain the corpus luteum and its progesterone output until the placenta takes over. Its presence is the basis of pregnancy testing.
How strong is the evidence for hCG?: PeptideHormone grades hCG at the "Established" evidence tier — its mechanism and core effects are settled across the peer-reviewed literature. It is catalogued as an endogenous signal the body produces itself, and the tier is an editorial judgment about the public literature that can change as the science does.
What is the half-life of hCG?: The reported circulating half-life of hCG is ~24–36 h.

Selected literature

Curated peer-reviewed reviews, sourced from PubMed. Selected for relevance, not exhaustive — open any entry on PubMed for the full record and its primary citations.

1.Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Early Embryogenesis: Review · International journal of molecular sciences, 2022 · PMID 35163303
2.The association between human chorionic gonadotropin and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis · American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 2024 · PMID 37572838

External references

hCG in the public knowledge graph — the same entity resolved across the authoritative chemistry and protein databases.