Mucus
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Mucus is a slippery gel produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucus forms a protective barrier between epithelial cells on the internal and external surfaces of the body and the outside environ
3D render showing accumulated mucus in the airways
Mucociliary clearance
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Mucociliary clearance, mucociliary transport, or the mucociliary escalator describes the self-clearing mechanism of the airways in the respiratory system. It is one of the two protective processes for
Mucus
…prevented from entering the system. This process, together with the continual movement of the cilia on the respiratory epithelium toward the oropharynx (mucociliary clearance), helps prevent foreign objects from entering the lungs during breathing. This explains why coughing often occurs in those who smoke cigarettes. The…
Ciliated epithelium in bronchus with short microvilli on non-ciliated cells
Scanning electron micrograph of the cilia projecting from respiratory epithelium in the trachea involved in mucociliary clearance.