mucus

Also known as slime

thumb|Mucous cells of the stomach lining secrete mucus (pink) into the lumen

AI overview

Mucus is a slippery substance secreted by special cells lining your stomach and other body parts. It plays an important protective role, such as coating your stomach to shield it from damage.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

41,241 papers

Physiology and pathophysiology of human airway mucus.ReviewPhysiological reviews · 2022Hill DB, Button B, Rubinstein M et al.DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00004.2021
Intestinal mucus and their glycans: A habitat for thriving microbiota.ReviewCell host & microbe · 2023Luis AS, Hansson GCDOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.05.026
Eosinophil-mucus interplay in severe asthma: Implications for treatment with biologicals.ReviewAllergology international : official journal of the Japanese Society of Allergology · 2024Venegas Garrido C, Mukherjee M, Svenningsen S et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.alit.2024.03.001
Intestinal mucus barrier: A potential therapeutic target for IBD.ReviewAutoimmunity reviews · 2025Qiao Y, He C, Xia Y et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2024.103717
Mucus-Inspired Dynamic Hydrogels: Synthesis and Future Perspectives.ReviewJournal of the American Chemical Society · 2022Bej R, Haag RDOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c13547
Immune Regulation of Goblet Cell and Mucus Functions in Health and Disease.ReviewAnnual review of immunology · 2025Gustafsson JK, Hansson GCDOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-101721-065224
The Cervicovaginal Mucus Barrier.ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2020Lacroix G, Gouyer V, Gottrand F et al.DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218266
Autophagy controls mucus secretion from intestinal goblet cells by alleviating ER stress.Cell host & microbe · 2023Naama M, Telpaz S, Awad A et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.01.006

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Wikidata facts

Show 2 more facts

Commons category: Mucus
WordLift URL: data.wordlift.io/wl01714/entity/mucus

Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~14 min read

Article

14 sections

Contents

Respiratory system
Respiratory tract
Mucus hypersecretion
Digestive system
Reproductive system
Clinical significance
Properties of mucus
Tunable swelling capacity
Polyelectrolyte effect in mucus
Mechanism of pH-tunable swelling
Charge selectivity
Other animals
See also
References

thumb|Mucous cells of the stomach lining secrete mucus (pink) into the lumen

Mucus (, ) is a slippery fluid produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucus forms a protective barrier between epithelial cells on the internal and external surfaces of the body and the outside environment. Mucus is found in the linings of the respiratory, digestive, and urogenital systems, and in the eyes and ears. Mucus helps to trap, destroy, or remove harmful particles, fungi, bacteria and viruses.