Drugs or substances that produce loss of sensation or consciousness; the field or practice of administering such substances.
From Greek 'an-' (without) + 'aisthesis' (sensation) + '-tic' (relating to) + plural '-s'. The word can function as both a countable noun (different types of anaesthetics) and an uncountable field of study.
Anaesthetics work through different mechanisms—local anesthetics like novocaine block nerve signals in one area, while general anesthetics like propofol affect the whole brain by disrupting communication between neurons, which is why we still don't fully understand how general anesthesia works.
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