Question

How does mucus help protect us from infection?

Answer 1

Mucus is sticky and stops dust and other debris from getting in through the nose when you inhale. In the lungs, it stop traps debris on its way to the lungs, where it is moved out of the lungs by cilia to be then swallowed into the stomach or spat out.

Answer 2

Mucus is our body's equivalent to fly paper, it lines the nose trapping the dirt and germs stopping them from damaging the lungs. But it does better than just sticking to them – mucus is loaded with protective proteins that kill and disable germs, like bacteria and viruses.