Question

What is the role of:

(c) Mucus?

Answer 1

Mucus:

• Mucus is a slimy fluid secreted in the body at various sites.
• It is a mixture of water, inorganic salts, mucin (protein), dead leucocytes, and epithelial cells.
• The membranes which secrete mucus are called mucus membranes, and the mucus-secreting cells are called the goblet cells.

Role of mucus:

1. Mucus plays multiple roles as a slimy fluid. It moistens the digestive tract for the smooth movement of chewed food (bolus).
2. It prevents the stomach lining from the low pH of the HCl secreted in the stomach during the digestion process.
3. It also performs the function of trapping unwanted foreign agents.