Everything you've always wanted to know about mucus

Mucus gets a bad rap. Slimy and gelatinous, we often wrongly dismiss it as a repulsive inconvenience—the gross gunk oozing out of our face whenever we get sick.

Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. This extraordinary substance is actually crucial to our health, protecting us from disease and safeguarding delicate tissues all over the body.

“Mucus serves many functions, but mostly it’s a first-line defense against harmful things in the environment,” says Jordan Roberts, MD, a family physician at Grainger Medical Clinic in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Here, we’ll reveal the wondrous facts about this disgusting goop—and bust the myths keeping it from getting the respect it deserves.