Eli5 How does the human body make so much snot so quickly?

Question

I’ve had a runny nose for a bit from allergies, it seems like the snot is neverending

In: 15

Answer 1

The human body is something like 70% water. The body just keeps expelling that water through the nose when it feels like it’s the right thing to do.

Answer 2

Each mucus (or “mucin” ) molecule is like a sponge. When it mixes with water, you end up with a lot of snot. So your nose only needs to make a little bit of mucin. it’s very concentrated. The snot is mostly water, with a little bit of “mucin”.

Answer 3

The nose has a lot of blood vessels designed to warm up incoming air in winter. They present a large of area for liquid to seep out into the nose cavity.