Making the Most of Mucus

Just the name itself will make you giggle. It's a great word that conjures visions of slime and unpleasantness. It is perhaps the most annoying part of having a cold or allergies. Mucus, however, plays a very important role in defense of our bodies and our health. In fact, it's high time mucus got a lot more respect.

First, there are some amazing facts about mucus that are worthy of respect. Humans produce about a liter of mucus every day, whether they are sick or not. Bony fish and some invertebrates (snails or slugs) also have mucus cells on the outside of their body. This external mucus creates a protective coating that prevents predators' toxins from doing harm. Humans produce mucus to protect our stomachs, our lungs, and several other systems.

We tend to not like mucus because it is a considered a symptom or sign that something is wrong. We usually only see it when we are sick, and so we tend to dislike it. According to Michael M. Johns, III, MD, however, "mucus is incredibly important for our bodies." Johns, an assistant professor at Emory University, calls mucus "the oil in the engine" of our bodies. Without mucus, our engines, or bodies, would freeze up and stop working properly.

Furthermore, mucus is not just the nasty gunk you see when you are sick. It lines the tissues in your mouth, your nose, throat, and lungs. It also is crucial in protecting your digestive system. Mucus puts a protective coating over the surfaces of these tissues, keeping them moist. Most of the time we don't notice mucus is making our lives better. It does its job quietly, making everything run smoothly, keeping our inner tissues soft and flexible enough to fight off invaders.

Occasionally, though our mucus-making membranes go into overdrive. If you eat a hot pepper, your mucus membranes in your mouth and throat start producing extra mucus to protect you. If you come into contact with pollen, you may get a runny nose and start sneezing and coughing. When these things happen, your mucus systems start making more fluids to wash away the irritating particles. Mucus also has some antibodies that increase our ability to fight off bacteria and viruses.

It's hard to appreciate what is essentially slime, but we have mucus for some very good reasons. It helps to keep us healthy and lets us know when our bodies are under attack. We would be wise to respect what our bodies do to keep us safe. So the next time you find yourself reaching for a tissue, remember mucus is your friend and ally.

What's in a Name?

Mucus is a great word, not only because it gives name to an important bodily function, but also because it is one of those words that simultaneously makes you feel grossed-out and giggly. Other words for this powerfully important human-health tool include slime and phlegm. Slang words for mucus include boogers and snot. All of these words have the same giggle-power, simply from the combination of consonants and vowels. By the way, mucus is an old word; it's been around since the mid-1600s and has roots back to Latin (mucere, to be moldy or musty) and Greek (myxa, mucus). While you may assume that words like snot and boogers are relatively new slang terms, they are not. Snot dates to 1560 and comes from an Old English word, gesnot, and has the same root as the word snout. The word booger is not quite as old but has been in use since the 1890s.


The authors of both texts would most likely agree that
A. mucus is gross but important
B. the names of things can be funny
C. slime and mucus are the same thing
D. words for mucus have interesting histories

Answer:

I think the answer might be B

Explanation:

The first article is about the bodily functions of mucus, whereas the second article is more about the word. The first article touches in that a bit, so I think the authors would agree.

What might have happened in the story, "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" if the General had not stopped and talked to the drummer boy the night before the battle? What message does this send about the power of conversation and human connection?

How old is your son? asked a man to his neighbour. My son is five times as old as my daughter and my wife is five times as old as my son. Iam twice as old as my wife whereas my grandmother, who is celebrating her eighty-first birthday is as old as all of us put together.

How old is the man's son?

How will the phrase “Courage to care,” motivate you in your future?

I have this here because multiple people are posting completely different questions that arent even on edge so answer this with the real answer not the "Racheal was sympathetic" or whatever.

Complete each sentence by choosing the word with the positive connotation.

Lynette likes to wear
jewelry.

She makes a good babysitter because she has a
personality.

The fall air felt
as we walked to school.

The
neighbor tried to find out what was going on in the home next door.

ROSES ARE RED< VIOLETS ARE BLUE GOD MADE ME PRETTY BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

which one of the highlighted spaces are the answers plz help

In Monster, what is the significance of the flashback scene with Steve and Tony? What does it suggest about Steve’s character? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

I'm writing an essay about homophobia in historical literature (formal, no 1st person, no contractions, no slang) and i need help coming up with a beginnnig

Which statement best conveys the speaker’s emotions towards America in the poem below?

this is from the story rikki-tikki-tavi.
what is the relationship between the poem at the beginning and the rest of the story ?
a. the poem reveals that rikki-tikki will be victorious in his fight against the cobras.
b. the poem describes nagaina's inner thoughts before she is introduced as a character.
c. the poem shows how the cobras could have killed rikki-tikki if they were quicker during the fight.
d. the poem explains how cobras and moongooses get along in the wild when humans are not around.

plz help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

helppppppppppppppppp

Which of the following types of figurative language is used in Diary of a Young Girl when Anne says that being alone outside with God is the best remedy?
☐simile
☐metaphor
☐allusion
☐hyperbole

How does an informational text inform an audience about a subject?(1 point)

by changing word choice to make the subject amusing

by describing the subject with rich, descriptive language

by using point of view to persuade about something

by presenting facts and data without opinion or bias


Point of view refers to the author’s __________(1 point)

perspective.

connotation.

purpose.

bias.


Which of the following best describes the author’s point of view?

There is usually an animal shelter in every town, and they are great places to volunteer. With about six million animals going into animal shelters each year, there are plenty that need our help. Adopting an animal is cheaper than buying one from a breeder, and you could be helping an animal in need. Some have been abused. Some were born in the wild. Some had owners who could not keep them. No matter what, adopting animals from shelters is a good idea.

(1 point)

The author feels that not enough animals enter shelters.

The author supports the work of animal shelters.

The author thinks that animals from shelters have problems.

The author believes that breeders are evil.


Sarah wants to make a pamphlet to inform her class about her favorite food, potatoes. Which two strategies can she use to make sure her pamphlet is informative?(1 point)

write in a serious tone

tell her audience how they should feel

use facts to talk about the subject

include several jokes

share her opinion on the topic


What term refers to how the author feels about the information or events in the text he or she is writing?(1 point)

perspective

statistics

background

purpose



my answers:
d
a
b
a,c
d