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Mucus: helpful goo or deadly glue?

Mucus lines the epithelial surfaces in the body that are exposed to the environment, including the respiratory, digestive and urogenital tracts. Biochemist Caroline Ridley describes how changes in the protective mucous barrier in the respiratory tract transform the mucus into a thick, sticky gel that can cause serious health problems

Coloured transmission electron micrograph of a section through the airway epithelium. In healthy individuals, mucus and cilia trap potential pathogens and foreign particles, preventing infection ×4000

AQA Proteins; Gas exchange; Inheritance; Using genome projects

OCR A Biological molecules; Mammalian gaseous exchange system; Patterns of inheritance; Manipulating genomes

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Previous

The species problem

Next

Hedgehogs in crisis

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