definitions

alpha-fetoprotein

[ al-fuh-fee-toh-proh-teen, -tee-in ]
/ ˌæl fəˌfi toʊˈproʊ tin, -ti ɪn /

noun Biochemistry.

a serum protein produced during pregnancy, useful in the prenatal diagnosis of multiple births or birth defects. Abbreviation: AFP

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Nearby words

alpha-adrenergic receptor, alpha-amino acid, alpha-aminosuccinic acid, alpha-beta brass, alpha-blocker, alpha-fetoprotein, alpha-fucosidase, alpha-hemolytic streptococci, alpha-hydroxy acid, alpha-interferon, alpha-ketoglutaric acid

Origin of alpha-fetoprotein

First recorded in 1970–75; alpha + fet(us) + -o- + protein
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for alpha-fetoprotein

alpha-fetoprotein

/ (ˌælfəˌfiːtəʊˈprəʊtiːn) /

noun

a protein that forms in the liver of the human fetus. Excessive quantities in the amniotic fluid and maternal blood may indicate spina bifida in the fetus; low levels may point to Down's syndromeAbbreviation: afp
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for alpha-fetoprotein

alpha-fetoprotein

n.

An antigen produced in the fetal liver that can appear in certain diseases of adults, such as liver cancer, and whose level in amniotic fluid can be used to detect certain fetal abnormalities, including Down syndrome and spina bifida.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Science definitions for alpha-fetoprotein

alpha-fetoprotein

[ ăl′fə-fē′tō-prō′tēn ]

An antigen produced in the liver of a fetus that can appear in certain diseases of adults, such as liver cancer. Its level in amniotic fluid can be used in the detection of certain fetal abnormalities, including Down syndrome and spina bifida.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.