The Gross Science of Sneezing, Coughing, and Vomiting

The Gross Science of Sneezing, Coughing, and Vomiting — page 5
8 THE GROSS SCIENCE OF SNEEZING COUGHING AND VOMITING Mucus may be gross but it’s essential to help keep the body’s machinery running smoothly It’s the oil that coats the engine of your respiratory system Without it the engine seizes Snot coats all the delicate internal areas of the body including the mouth nose sinuses throat lungs and gastrointestinal tract This protective lining ensures that the tissues don’t dry out If the cilia are the filters the mucus is the flypaper catching bacteria virus germs and dust particles before they advance deeper into the body Eventually the irritants build up too much in the upper respiratory system for the body to tolerate their presence any longer Ever notice that you take a deep breath in before you sneeze That inhalation triggers the flap at the back of throat known as the epiglottis to close up All the muscles in the chest begin tightening As a result there’s so much pressure on the air in the lungs that it will have to explode out at tremendous tremendous speed How fast If the sneeze is powerful enough it can be as fast as 525 feet 160 meters per second