AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The classical roles of respiratory mucus are to maintain the hydration of the respiratory tract and to act as a protective barrier against the external environment by trapping particulate matter, including pathogens.

Detailed explanation-2: -The mucus traps smaller particles like pollen or smoke. Hairlike structures called cilia line the mucous membrane and move the particles trapped in the mucus out of the nose. Inhaled air is moistened, warmed, and cleansed by the tissue that lines the nasal cavity.

Detailed explanation-3: -Airway mucus traps inhaled toxins and transports them out of the lungs by means of ciliary beating and cough (Fig. 1).

Detailed explanation-4: -Mucus production serves many purposes, even when you’re healthy. It protects the tissue that lines your lungs, throat, and nasal and sinus passages and keeps them from drying out. Mucus contains antibodies and enzymes, designed to kill or neutralize harmful bacteria in the air.

Detailed explanation-5: -The bronchus in the lungs are lined with hair-like projections called cilia that move microbes and debris up and out of the airways. Scattered throughout the cilia are goblet cells that secrete mucus which helps protect the lining of the bronchus and trap microorganisms.