How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck
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0:12 - 0:15If you've got a cold,
mucus is hard to miss. -
0:15 - 0:19But what is it, and what does it do
besides making you miserable? -
0:19 - 0:24Your body produces more than a liter
of mucus every day, -
0:24 - 0:27and all the wet surfaces of your body
that are not covered by skin, -
0:27 - 0:29like your eyes,
-
0:29 - 0:29nose,
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0:29 - 0:30mouth,
-
0:30 - 0:31lungs,
-
0:31 - 0:33and stomach get a liberal coating.
-
0:33 - 0:36That's why they're known
as mucus membranes. -
0:36 - 0:39Mucus plays lots of roles
in your body. -
0:39 - 0:42It keeps delicate tissues
from drying out and cracking, -
0:42 - 0:44which would expose them to infection.
-
0:44 - 0:47It lubricates your eyes so you can blink.
-
0:47 - 0:49It protects your stomach lining
from acid. -
0:49 - 0:53It neutralizes threats by removing
or trapping substances -
0:53 - 0:55that could make you sick.
-
0:55 - 1:01And finally, it houses and keeps your
body's trillions of bacterial inhabitants, -
1:01 - 1:05your microbiota, under control.
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1:05 - 1:07Mucus contains lots
of different compounds, -
1:07 - 1:10including proteins, fats, and salts.
-
1:10 - 1:16But a key component of mucus versatility
is a set of proteins called mucins. -
1:16 - 1:19Mucins are the primary
large molecules in mucus -
1:19 - 1:23and are essential
for giving mucus its slippery feel. -
1:23 - 1:27They belong to a class of proteins
called glycoproteins -
1:27 - 1:30which are built out of both amino acids
and sugars. -
1:30 - 1:36In mucin, long chains of sugars
are attached to specific amino acids -
1:36 - 1:38in the protein backbone.
-
1:38 - 1:43The hydrophilic sugar chains help mucin
dissolve in your body's watery fluids. -
1:43 - 1:46Mucus, which is up to 90% water,
-
1:46 - 1:49stays hydrated thanks
to these sugar chains. -
1:49 - 1:52Some of these mucins can interact
with other mucin molecules -
1:52 - 1:56to create a complex network
that establishes a barrier -
1:56 - 1:59against pathogens and other invaders.
-
1:59 - 2:03That's why mucus is the body's first line
of defense against foreign objects, -
2:03 - 2:05like bacteria and dust.
-
2:05 - 2:09It's continuously produced to clear them
from the respiratory tract, -
2:09 - 2:12like a slimy conveyor belt.
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2:12 - 2:16This keeps bacteria from getting
a solid purchase on delicate lung tissue, -
2:16 - 2:20or making it to the blood stream,
where they could cause a major infection. -
2:20 - 2:24Many of those harmful bacteria
also cause diseases -
2:24 - 2:28when they cluster into slimy growths
called biofilms. -
2:28 - 2:29But mucus contains mucins,
-
2:29 - 2:32antimicrobial peptides,
-
2:32 - 2:33antibodies,
-
2:33 - 2:37and even bacteria-hungry viruses
called bacteriophages -
2:37 - 2:41that all work together to prevent
biofilms from forming. -
2:41 - 2:44If microbes do become harmful
and you get sick, -
2:44 - 2:49the body ramps up mucus production
to try to quickly flush out the offenders, -
2:49 - 2:54and the immune system floods your mucus
with extra white blood cells. -
2:54 - 2:57In fact, the greenish mucus often
associated with infections -
2:57 - 3:01gets its color from an enzyme
produced by those white blood cells. -
3:01 - 3:04This multi-pronged approach
to bacterial management -
3:04 - 3:08is one of the main reasons
why we're not sick all the time. -
3:08 - 3:12Even though mucus protects against
the infectious bacteria, -
3:12 - 3:16the vast majority of your body's bacterial
tenants are not harmful, -
3:16 - 3:18and many are actually beneficial.
-
3:18 - 3:21That's particularly true
when they live in mucus, -
3:21 - 3:23where they can perform
important functions, -
3:23 - 3:25like synthesizing vitamins,
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3:25 - 3:27suppressing harmful inflammation,
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3:27 - 3:31and controlling the growth
of more harmful species. -
3:31 - 3:34So even though you probably associate
mucus with being ill, -
3:34 - 3:37it's really helping you stay healthy.
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3:37 - 3:38Sure, it might seem gross,
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3:38 - 3:42but can you think of any other substance
that can lubricate, -
3:42 - 3:44keep your body clean,
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3:44 - 3:45fight infection,
-
3:45 - 3:49and domesticate a teeming
bacterial population? -
3:49 - 3:52Nope, just mucus.
- Title:
- How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck
- Description:
-
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-mucus-keeps-us-healthy-katharina-ribbeck
Your body produces more than a liter of mucus every day, and when you’re sick, it can be hard to miss. But what exactly is mucus? And what does it do, besides making you miserable? Katharina Ribbeck reveals the mysteries of this transparent, shape-shifting layer that moistens and lubricates the vulnerable parts of our body while rendering us invisible to potentially deadly microbes.
Lesson by Katharina Ribbeck, animation by Anton Bogaty.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TED-Ed
- Duration:
- 04:08
Jessica Ruby approved English subtitles for How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck | ||
Jessica Ruby accepted English subtitles for How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck | ||
Jessica Ruby edited English subtitles for How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck | ||
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Jennifer Cody edited English subtitles for How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck |