Knowra Mucus Mucus Mucus is a slippery secretion produced by mucous membranes, composed mainly of water and mucins. It lubricates surfaces and helps trap particles and microbes.
Mucin : A large glycoprotein whose sugar-rich regions give mucus much of its gel-forming character. Mucins form the molecular network that makes mucus slippery and cohesive.
Glycoprotein : A protein with one or more covalently attached carbohydrate chains. Mucins are heavily glycosylated proteins, giving mucus its distinctive properties.
Airway surface liquid : The thin fluid layer covering airway cells, including mucus and a less viscous periciliary layer. Mucus is the particle-trapping component of this airway lining.
Saliva : The fluid secreted by salivary glands into the mouth, containing water, electrolytes, enzymes, and proteins. Saliva mixes with oral mucus but is a distinct glandular secretion.
Mucociliary clearance : The coordinated movement of airway mucus and cilia that carries trapped particles toward the throat. In airways, cilia move mucus and its captured material out of the lungs.
O-glycosylation : The attachment of carbohydrate chains to the oxygen atom of serine or threonine residues in proteins. Mucin sugar chains are largely attached through O-glycosylation.
Intestinal mucus : The mucus barrier secreted by the intestine between its epithelial lining and gut contents. Its layered structure helps separate intestinal microbes from host tissue.
Serous fluid : A thin, watery secretion produced by serous glands, typically rich in proteins and relatively low in mucins. Unlike mucus, serous fluid is not primarily a mucin-rich gel.
Cilia : Fine, hairlike cell structures that move fluid or material along cell surfaces. Motile cilia propel mucus across respiratory surfaces.
Disulfide bond : A covalent bond between sulfur atoms of two cysteine residues in proteins. Disulfide bonds help link mucin molecules into large polymers.
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