Human Reproduction

Question

The hormone detected by most home pregnancy test kits is secreted by the developing placenta to sustain early pregnancy.

RankGuru · Accepted Answer

The endocrine activity of the placenta is described in NCERT Class 12, Chapter 3 (Human Reproduction), where it is noted to secrete several hormones during pregnancy. Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is produced soon after implantation and maintains the corpus luteum so that it continues secreting progesterone, which sustains the uterine lining in early pregnancy. Because hCG appears in maternal urine within days of implantation, it is the marker that home pregnancy kits detect. Follicle-stimulating hormone is incorrect because it is a pituitary hormone driving follicle growth and is suppressed during pregnancy, not secreted by the placenta. Oxytocin is wrong as it is released from the posterior pituitary mainly to trigger uterine contractions during childbirth and milk ejection. Relaxin is produced later and acts to soften the pelvic ligaments near term, so it is not the early test marker. A logical check supports the answer: a hormone unique to pregnancy and appearing early in urine fits hCG precisely.

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