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Asked by aiishii to Dalya, Derek, Sarah, Tim, Tom on 19 Jun 2011.
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Tim Millar answered on 14 Jun 2011:
Mucous is a thick, gloopy substance produced from goblet cells which is there to protect us from the outside (infections and dirt) and keep our surfaces moist.
Mucous is important in the lungs where it captures little particles from the air we breathe. In the lungs this mucous is then moved up the tubes by little waving hairs called cilia which beat in a rhythm to move the mucous to the back of the throat where it is swallowed or spat out. For some people, those that have cystic fibrosis or a disease know as ciliary dyskinesia for example produce to much mucous or lack the ability to move it out of the lungs. This can then lead to infections and make them ill.
Mucous is an important part of our protective linings but can also go wrong.
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Sarah Thomas answered on 14 Jun 2011:
Yes I agree with everything that Tim said. Mucus can also get trapped if you have a cold or are having an allergic reaction. If that happens you can unblock it by taking a decongestant tablet or putting your head in a steam bath with some olbas oil. Also blowing your nose and clearing your throat can get rid of it!
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Dalya Soond answered on 14 Jun 2011:
I agree with what Tim and Sarah said. But are you asking also why you sometimes seem to have more of it than others? If so, your body will make more mucus to trap an infection or some irritant (like pollen) and begin to break it down with enzymes. Random fact: The average adult makes 1 litre of mucus a day. To understand how much this is, go into a shop after school today and look for a 1 litre bottle of water. I am sure you will be quite impressed with your body!
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Derek McKay-Bukowski answered on 14 Jun 2011:
Not being a biologist, I don’t know much about this. So I was reading what the experts had written. I got to the bit where Dalya wrote that ‘average adult makes 1 litre of mucus a day’. Ewww…
Another good reason to do physics instead of biology!
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Tom Crick answered on 19 Jun 2011:
Great answers here, more suited to the biologists!
Dalya: Random fact: The average adult makes 1 litre of mucus a day.
Superb!
Comments
aiishii commented on :
Biology is very interesting Derek !!