Question: are cortisol and cortisone the same thing?
Answer: Cortisone has marginally reduced glucocorticoid activity compared to cortisol (80-90%), and thus, cortisone can be considered an active metabolite of cortisol. However, 11-beta-steroid dehydrogenase can catalyze the reverse reaction as well, and, thus, cortisone is also a precursor molecule of cortisol.