What is BETA? or BETA or bust? From looking at the glossary and reading post i'm guessing it's blood work to tell if you are preg? But i'm not sure and I've decided it's time to ask and stop being confused
Thanks
***Siggy Warning***
TTC Since Feb 2011 - HSG Aug 2012 opened 1 tube - Lap Nov 2012 confirmed Endo.
May 2013 both tubes blocked by hydrosalpinx. Nov 2013 Essure Placed permanently blocking both tubes
The hormone human chrorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is actually made of two strings of amino acids (or you can think about it as two "pieces of protein"). The two pieces are different from each other but they are stuck together to form HCG. One piece is called alpha and one piece is called beta.
HCG, LH, FSH, and TSH hormones are all made of 2 pieces of protein. The alpha piece is the same between all of these hormones, but each hormone has its own special beta piece; it's the difference in these beta pieces that make these hormones do different things in our bodies.
When they test for pregnancy, what they are actually testing for is the presence of the beta piece that is specific to HCG. No other protein in our body has this beta piece. That's why a pregnancy test is called "beta".
Nerd out.
Baby girl N born 10/29/14!
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Re: I have a stupid Question
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