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How mucus keeps us healthy - Katharina Ribbeck

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12,539 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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Your body produces more than a liter of mucus every day, and when you’re sick, it can be hard to miss. But what exactly is mucus? And what does it do, besides making you miserable? Katharina Ribbeck reveals the mysteries of this transparent, shape-shifting layer that moistens and lubricates the vulnerable parts of our body while rendering us invisible to potentially deadly microbes.

How do you think mucus could affect basic microbial (such as movement, the secretion of chemicals and the attachment to an underlying surface)? How would you design a laboratory experiment to study this question?

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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Katharina Ribbeck
  • Director Anton Bogaty
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Collaborator Jacob S. Witten, Erica S. Frenkel, Wesley Chen, Tahoura S. Samad
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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