Corticosteroid

Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are involved in a wide range of physiological processes, including stress response, immune response, and regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte levels, and behavior.

Some common naturally occurring steroid hormones are cortisol (C
₂₁H
₃₀O
₅), corticosterone (C
₂₁H
₃₀O
₄), cortisone (C
₂₁H
₂₈O
₅) and aldosterone (C
₂₁H
₂₈O
₅) (cortisone and aldosterone are isomers). The main corticosteroids produced by the adrenal cortex are cortisol and aldosterone.