Slimy snot is an important part of how your immune system wards off germs and fights back from infection.
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The nose produces more than 100 millilitres of snot over the course of a day (less during sleep) and uses it to treat and filter the air we breathe.
Some coughs can last for weeks or even months following an upper respiratory infection. The good news – albeit not very satisfying – is that most eventually go away on their own.
An effective nasal vaccine could stop the virus that causes COVID-19 right at its point of entry. But devising one that works has been a challenge for researchers.
Snails use their slime to help them move, stop them drying out and to scare off predators.
A vast array of species, including people, use slime for a variety of essential bodily functions. Studying the genetic ancestry of slime surprisingly showcases the role of repetitive DNA in evolution.
In secret, in the car or on napkins, we all do it. And truth be told, it is so satisfying.
If you believe the memes, men spend ages in the toilet. But they’re not always pooing. Here’s what they’re really doing.
More than 200 scientists wrote to the World Health Organization, warning about aerosol transmission of the coronavirus.
Controlled coughing can help people with cystic fibrosis, under supervision and in hospital. But when done at home, it could help spread the coronavirus.
A historical trail through its medicinal properties.
Those little nuggets in your nose are actually a sign your body is working to protect you.
How can a tiny flu virus make you feel so bad, all over? Here’s what’s behind your high temperature, muscle aches and other flu symptoms.
As antibiotic resistance increases globally, the heat is on to find new alternatives to treat infections. Chemists can get a head start by looking at compounds produced in nature by fishes’ microbes.
Many people think green snot means you are really sick, or that you need antibiotics. Not true. Green snot is actually a sign that our immune system is working and that we are getting better.
Biologists are finding new evidence that these ocean invertebrate grazers don’t just ingest whatever they catch. They can actually be picky eaters – and their choices might influence ocean food webs.
New parenthood got our fluid dynamics experts thinking about what ends up in the diaper. They headed to the zoo and the lab to come up with a cohesive physics story for how defecation works.
Top contributors
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Principal Lecturer, Microbiology and Biomedical Science Practice, Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Science, University of Brighton
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Professor, viral immunology, Monash University
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Immunology researcher, Monash University
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Research Leader in Respiratory cellular and molecular biology at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Professor, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney
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Professor of Molecular Evolution, Macquarie University
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Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University
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Senior Lecturer in General Practice, The University of Queensland
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Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biology, Adjunct Associate Professor of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology
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Chancellor's Professor of Earth Sciences and Executive Director, Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University
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Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
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Assistant Professor of Biology, University of Oregon
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University of Oregon
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Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Oregon State University
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Professor of Rhinology and Olfactology, University of East Anglia
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Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Clarkson University
