[2] In many species, including amphibians, reptiles, rodents and birds, corticosterone is a main glucocorticoid,[3] involved in regulation of energy, immune reactions, and stress responses.

[4] However, in humans, cortisol is the primary glucocorticoid that is produced primarily in the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex.

Corticosterone has only weak glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid potencies in humans and is important mainly as an intermediate in the steroidogenic pathway from pregnenolone to aldosterone.

[citation needed] Corticosterone is the precursor molecule to the mineralocorticoid aldosterone, one of the major homeostatic modulators of sodium and potassium levels in vivo.

[citation needed] One example of a release pathway relates to UV-B stimulation on the skins of certain amphibians such as the Rough-skinned Newt, Taricha granulosa; this trigger seems to cause the internal generation of corticosterone in that species.

[6] Interestingly, higher levels of corticosterone are also associated with a wider range of exploration, despite beforementioned inhibited feather growth.

Studies show that the modification of certain chemical and brain processes that affect corticosterone levels can also impact stress effects on memory.

In studies on rats, the fluctuations of corticosterone concentration are shown to prevent stress' impairment of recognition memory in lower amounts.