ABSTRACT
Minimum alveolar concentration is accepted as a valid measure of potency of inhalational general anesthetics because it remains fairly constant for a given species even under varying conditions. Joubert Meyer and C. E. Overton had discovered the striking correlation between the physical properties of general anesthetic molecules and their potency: The greater is the lipid solubility of the compound, greater is its anesthetic potency. General anesthetics induce immobilization through depression of spinal cord functions, but their amnesic actions are exerted within the brain. According to the Meyer-Overton correlation, in any general anesthetic, increasing the chain length increases the lipid solubility, and thereby should produce a corresponding increase in anesthetic potency. The lipid hypothesis states that anesthetic effect comes if solubilization of general anesthetic in the bilayer causes a redistribution of membrane lateral pressures. The general anesthetics have wide importance in relieving pain in many cases of medication and surgeries.
