alpha-fetoprotein

[ al-fuh-fee-toh-proh-teen, -tee-in ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

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

alpha-fetoprotein

/ ˌælfəˌfiːtəʊˈprəʊtiːn /

noun

1. 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 syndrome afp

alpha-fetoprotein

/ ăl′fə-fē′tō-prō′tēn /

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of alpha-fetoprotein¹

First recorded in 1970–75; alpha + fet(us) + -o- + protein