the assumption that an over-reaction to a its timely removal by the tiny hairs(cilia)on foreign invader is better than no reaction at the outside of the airway cells, otherwise, the all(which is also the reason why many of us mucus will become too sticky trapping bacteria suffer from allergies). These specialized as well as the bodys immune immune cells in the lungs recognize the invader (which can add to the inf lammation) in the as foreign and dutifully send out a chemical lungs. When CFTR is not working properly signal into the blood stream telling the rest of chloride(and therefore water) will not flow the body that the bad guys have made their from the bloodstream into the mucus at the way into the lungs and the body had better do submucosal glands of the lower lung. This something about it, and fast. Sneezing would means that in CF, the mucus deep down in the be nice. So would an increase in mucus in the lungs is already starting out on its journey to lungs as well as faster swaying cilia hairs which the throat as being too sticky. In addition to would all help to push irritants out of the this, paradoxically in the upper airway, where lungs. However, if the body is going to increase the mucus normally has some of its water the amount of mucus in the lung it had better removed back to the bloodstream. cFtr is also increase the amount of water which keeps needed to keep the sodium ion channel, ENac the mucus moist and free-flowing from working. When theres no CFTR in the this strategy could backfire and the upper airway, as in CF, too much sodium travels end up becoming a trap for bacteria. Hydration back from the mucus into the cells of the (water content)of the mucus in the lung is upper airway, meaning that the water will acquired in the submucosal glands in the lower travel from the mucus back to airway of the lungs. This is also the place bloodstream. This makes the mucus lose even where the large glycoprotein, mucin, is made more of what little water it already has, and as secre ted into the mucus. Proper a result becomes even more sticky and viscous hydration of mucus is therefore necessary for than it otherwise would be Cystic Fibrosis Not Just a Lung Disease Parotid gland In the lungs, thick bronchial secretions block the small airways, which become with infected secretions, areas of the ladder. In the pancreas, thick the gall ock the eland Gallbladder cretions and requires surgery in some new borns. The reproductive organs are affected by Courtesy of The Merck Manual of Medical Information -Second Home Edition, p 318, edited by Mark H Beers. Copyright 2003 by Merck Co, Inc Whitehouse Station, NJ. Used with permissionthe assumption that an over-reaction to a foreign invader is better than no reaction at all (which is also the reason why many of us suffer from allergies). These specialized immune cells in the lungs recognize the invader as foreign and dutifully send out a chemical signal into the blood stream telling the rest of the body that the bad guys have made their way into the lungs and the body had better do something about it, and fast. Sneezing would be nice. So would an increase in mucus in the lungs as well as faster swaying cilia hairs which would all help to push irritants out of the lungs. However, if the body is going to increase the amount of mucus in the lung, it had better also increase the amount of water which keeps the mucus moist and free-flowing, otherwise this strategy could backfire and the lung could end up becoming a trap for bacteria. Hydration (water content) of the mucus in the lung is acquired in the submucosal glands in the lower airway of the lungs. This is also the place where the large glycoprotein, mucin, is made and secreted into the mucus. Proper hydration of mucus is therefore necessary for its timely removal by the tiny hairs (cilia) on the outside of the airway cells, otherwise, the mucus will become too sticky trapping bacteria as well as the body's immune system cells (which can add to the inflammation) in the lungs. When CFTR is not working properly, chloride (and therefore water) will not flow from the bloodstream into the mucus at the submucosal glands of the lower lung. This means that in CF, the mucus deep down in the lungs is already starting out on its journey to the throat as being too sticky. In addition to this, paradoxically, in the upper airway, where the mucus normally has some of its water removed back to the bloodstream, CFTR is needed to keep the sodium ion channel, ENaC, from working. When there's no CFTR in the upper airway, as in CF, too much sodium travels back from the mucus into the cells of the upper airway, meaning that the water will also travel from the mucus back to the bloodstream. This makes the mucus lose even more of what little water it already has, and as a result becomes even more sticky and viscous than it otherwise would be. Courtesy of The Merck Manual of Medical Information - Second Home Edition, p. 318, edited by Mark H. Beers. Copyright 2003 by Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ. Used with permission