• Question: How does general anastetic work?

    Asked by cheesybillybob to Antonia, Douglas, Hugh, Matt, Tom on 15 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Antonia Hamilton

      Antonia Hamilton answered on 14 Jun 2010:

      Good question – no one really knows. The molecules of anaethestic get to your brain and slow down the information processing so you lose consciousness. But maybe if we knew how these molecules worked, we would know what consciousness is too!

    • Photo: Matthew Hurley

      Matthew Hurley answered on 14 Jun 2010:

      A general anaesthetic causes unconsciousness by reversibly binding to neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain that transmit messages as well as nerves). When the anaesthetic wears off, the binding reverses and you wake up.

    • Photo: Hugh Roderick

      Hugh Roderick answered on 15 Jun 2010:

      I don’t know

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