Ask Dr. Universe: What is a booger and is it harmful to eat?

Dr-Universe-230SPOKANE, Wash. – When I went to visit my friend Susan Perkins, an instructor of nursing at Washington State University, she shined a tiny light in my nose. Sure enough, she found some crusty little boogies.

Perkins said boogers actually start out in the nose as sticky, slimy mucus, which is mostly water. It also has a little protein to keep it sticky, some salt and other chemicals.

“Many of our organs make mucus,” Perkins said. “It’s just that the kind in our nose turns into boogers.”

In your nose, tiny hair cells help push the mucus down toward your nostrils. Mucus dries out in the air and pretty soon you’ve got a booger. But not all mucus is destined to become a booger.

Read all of this answer from Dr. Universe at https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2016/02/29/what-are-boogers/.

 

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