Corticosteroid

Corticosteroid
Drug class
Cortisol (hydrocortisone), a corticosteroid with both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid activity and effects.
Class identifiers
Synonyms	Corticoid
Use	Various
ATC code	H02
Biological target	Glucocorticoid receptor, Mineralocorticoid receptor
Chemical class	Steroids
Legal status
In Wikidata

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

The etymology of the cortico- part of the name refers to the adrenal cortex, which makes these steroid hormones. Thus a corticosteroid is a "cortex steroid".^{[citation needed]}