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what is phlegm?

  • 28-01-2009 9:22pm
    #1
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭


    And why is my body trying to drown itself with the stuff? I think I have a chest infection at the minute, which is why the question occurred to me. Cheers.


Comments

  • #2
    Thomas_S_Hunterson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,151 ✭✭✭Thomas_S_Hunterson


    Well the really boring answer, lifted in it's entirety from wikipedia is: Its composition varies, depending on climate, genetics, and state of the immune system, but basically is a water-based gel consisting of glycoproteins, immunoglobulins, lipids, etc.


  • #3
    brianthebard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,165 ✭✭✭✭brianthebard


    Well then what's it for and why do I have so much of it?>


  • #4
    sillymoo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,083 ✭✭✭sillymoo


    Its full of immunoglobulins which fight infection.

    Bad infection=more immunoglobulins to try fight it and thus more phlegm.

    http://www.answers.com/topic/phlegm


  • #5
    GuanYin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,552 ✭✭✭✭GuanYin


    It is mostly mucus and dead cells.

    Basically a layer of mucus bound to the lining of ever surface in your body (respiratory tract, GI tract, eyes, urogenital tract) and it is constantly turned over/replenished.

    It acts to exclude bacteria and toxins from your linings and as the new mucin (the glycoprotein component of mucus) is secreted from the lining, it is pushed away from the lining. Eventually, it becomes unbound from the mucus layer and is released. This is effectively phlegm.

    When you have infections or inflammation, the mucus can over-produce (or underproduce) and clump with dead human cell debris or bacteria... which makes it a bit goo-ier


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