General anesthetics keep surgical patients unconscious by reducing activity in the
A) hippocampus.
B) corpus callosum.
C) lateral ventricles.
D) reticular formation.
E) medullary pyramids.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

General anesthetics work by suppressing activity in the reticular formation, a region in the brainstem that plays a key role in regulating arousal and wakefulness. By reducing activity in this region, anesthesia induces a state of unconsciousness. The other brain regions listed (hippocampus, corpus callosum, lateral ventricles, medullary pyramids) are not directly involved in regulating consciousness and are not targeted by general anesthetics in the same way as the reticular formation.

General Anesthetics Keep Surgical Patients Unconscious by Reducing Activity in the