Analgesics are drugs that selectively relieve pain by acting in the central nervous system or on peripheral mechanisms without affecting consciousness. There are two main types of analgesics: opioid analgesics (addictive) and non-opioid analgesics (non-addictive). Morphine is a potent opioid agonist derived from opium that acts on mu-opioid receptors in the central nervous system to produce analgesia, sedation, euphoria and respiratory depression. While highly effective at relieving pain, morphine can also cause side effects like nausea, vomiting, constipation, urinary retention and respiratory depression at high doses.