how does our lungs clean themselves from small things that get in them like dust?
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Despite what most comments are saying, the predominant method of removing inhaled particulate matter/dust from the lungs is actually via lung macrophages, not mucocilliary clearance. Macrophages are modified white blood cells that are like large garbage cans for the body – they intake foreign material and store it there. In smokers and individuals that live urban centers/areas of high air pollution, the macrophages appear black on microscopy. This is due to anthrocotic pigment within the macrophage. You can see an image of it in the wiki link below.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_macrophage
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(18)30158-X/fulltext
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24058272/#:~:text=Lung%20macrophages%20play%20a%20critically,particulate%20matter%20from%20the%20lung.
Our lungs have tiny hair-like structures called cilia and sticky stuff called mucus that help keep them clean. When we breathe in, some particles like dust can enter our lungs. The cilia move in a sweeping motion to push the particles along with the mucus out of our lungs. It’s like a cleaning crew inside our lungs that gets rid of the stuff that shouldn’t be there. We might cough or swallow to remove the mucus and the particles from our bodies. So, our lungs have their own special way of cleaning themselves to stay healthy.
For a lot of the lungs, there are sort of little hairs that dance and move stuff up and out, until they trigger a cough or sneeze to happen and blast it all out your face. In the deep deep parts (alveoli), there are cops (white blood cells/macrophages) on patrol to snatch up anything that isn’t supposed to be there.
Normally, the lungs are a very clean environment, and people can get pretty bad infections (pneumonia) if they accidentally inhale food, especially older folks.
A great tonic for the lungs is walnuts. Have a handful at bedtime (also a good source of melatonin) and in a few days your elbows will get crusty. Weird, I know, but that’s the crap leaving the body. When your elbows are clear so are your lungs. That’s my experience anyway
Mucus. Adding that to explain how the cilia are able to move dust, etc. It gets caught in the mucus.
Please do note that they can’t get everything out and it can be a serious problem. Things like air pollution and coal and any situation with a lot of particulates can lead to serious medical issues.
Answers given are good, but no one has NAMED this system of mucous and tiny hairs (cilia) that capture and push stuff out of the lungs, and the name is wonderful.
It is the ___mucociliary elevator___.
Boogers and coughs.
The other folk have the more scientific explanations, but when you clear your throat, the gunk thats moving around has all the little nasties trapped in it.
Ever notice how gross your boogers are after spending a day in a busy city? I notice it especially after being in London and travelling on the Tube (Subway) throughout the day. Your nose is like one of those sticky fly traps but for the particles you mention instead of bluebottles.
Cilia and mucus. The dust/smoke/particles get trapped in the wet mucosa lining in the lungs. The lining and contaminants are continually pushed out of the lungs via the tiny hairs (cillia) to the throat. Big “blobs” of mucus cause a cough reflex to force the blockage out.
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