mucocilliary escalator

(noun)

The ladder formed by mucus and cilia in the trachea that pushes mucus up the trachea and into the pharynx to prevent mucus pathogens from entering the lungs.

Related Terms

Examples of mucocilliary escalator in the following topics:

  • Skin and Mucosae (Surface Barriers)

    • While the skin simply prevents pathogen entry, more specialized structures like the mucocilliary escalator in the trachea work by trapping pathogens in mucus secretions, and use cilia to push them out of the trachea to prevent entry into the lungs.
    • Smoking and alcoholism damages the mucilliary escalator and makes it easier for pathogens to invade the lungs.

  • Buchanan's Waiting Game

    • Buchanan's address only attracted sharp, bitter criticism from the North (for Buchanan's claim that the crisis was a direct result of Northern interference) and the South (for Buchanan refuting its right to secede), rather than taking any effective action to prevent the conflict from escalating.
    • Paralyzed by negative public opinion and a hostile Congress, Buchanan made no further moves either to prepare for war or to avert it, leaving Lincoln to grapple with escalating tensions between the Confederacy and the United States.

  • Trachea

    • This mucus and cilia of the trachea form the mucociliary escalator, which lines the cells of the trachea with mucus to trap inhaled foreign particles.
    • The mucociliary escalator is one of the most important functions of the trachea and is also considered a barrier component of the immune system due its role in preventing pathogens from entering the lungs.

  • Introduction

    • She has determined that the seating arrangement has only escalated the arguments.
    • Because of the already escalating tension due to class dynamics, she was reluctant to assign a monumental task on the first try.
    • As the social problems among the students escalated, the students' test grades continued to be below average.

  • "Americanizing" the Vietnam War

    • Rolling Thunder gradually escalated in intensity, with aircraft striking only carefully selected targets.
    • North Vietnam, utilizing the Ho Chi Minh and Sihanouk Trails, matched the U.S. at every point of the escalation, funneling manpower and supplies to the southern battlefields.
    • Summarize the escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam under the Johnson Administration.

  • The Widening War at Home

    • In February of 1965, United States President Lyndon Johnson dramatically escalated the war in Vietnam with a sustained bombing campaign and the introduction of ground troops.
    • The fall of 1967 saw further escalation of the anti-war actions of the New Left.
    • As the war escalated, the money spent to fund it also increased, leaving less to pay for the many social programs Johnson had created to lift Americans out of poverty.

  • The War in the West

    • Most of the action in the West consisted of escalating series of retaliations between frontier settlers and local indigenous populations.
    • The situation escalated in 1777 as the British launched a major offensive into the west from Canada.
    • Patriot efforts to move against Fort Detroit were undermined due to the lack of ready troops and because escalating raids had created more determined enemies of the American Indians.

  • Commitment to Vietnam

    • In effect, Johnson escalated the war, following the controversial Gulf of Tonkin incident.
    • The Gulf of Tonkin Incident proved an escalating factor of the war and justification of continued American presence in Vietnam.
    • Rolling Thunder gradually escalated in intensity, with aircraft striking only carefully selected targets.
    • North Vietnam, utilizing the Ho Chi Minh and Sihanouk Trails, matched the U.S. at every point of the escalation, funneling manpower and supplies to the southern battlefields.
    • President Johnson believed in the "Domino Effect" and escalated America's involvement in Vietnam.

  • Student Rebellions and the New Left

    • As the war escalated, the membership of the SDS also increased greatly as more people were willing to scrutinize political decisions in moral terms, and the people became increasingly militant.
    • Shortly after, in February of 1965, President Johnson dramatically escalated the war in Vietnam by bombing North Vietnam and introducing ground troops in the South.
    • The fall of 1967 saw a great escalation of the anti-war actions of the New Left.

  • The First Stuarts and Catholicism

    • Believing that their power is God-given right, James I and his son and successor, Charles I of England, reigned England in the atmosphere of repeated escalating conflicts with the English Parliament.
    • He and his son and successor, Charles I of England, reigned England in the atmosphere of repeated escalating conflicts with the English Parliament.
    • The escalating conflict between the king and the Parliament resulted in what is known as the English Civil War (1642–1651).