Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is a peptide hormone produced in pregnancy, that is made by the embryo soon after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast (part of the placenta). Its role is to prevent the disintegration of the corpus luteum of the ovary and thereby maintain progesterone production that is critical for a pregnancy in humans. hCG may have additional functions, for instance it is thought that it affects the immune tolerance of the pregnancy. Early pregnancy testing generally is based on the detection or measurement of hCG.||Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is produced from a sterile preparation of placental glucoprotein urine of pregnant women having a total molecular mass of 36,700 Daltons. The hCG consists of 237 amino acids, a chain-92 amino acids and b chain-145 amino acids. The hCG is purified by proprietary chromatographic techniques.||Biological Activity:|~5000IU/mg||Contaminants: |Free of HbsAg and antibodies to HIV and HCV.||Storage and Stability:|Lyophilized powder may be stored at -20°C. Stable for 6 months after receipt at -20°C. Reconstitute with sterile ddH2O, 0.1% HSA or BSA. Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing. Store at -20°C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.