Mucus in respiratory airways

Mucus in airways acts with ciliary beating to keep clear the airways, giving rise to the mucociliary ascendant.
Mucus is very complex in its composition, is mainly produced by goblet cells and serous glands in bronchi wall. The main protein in mucus is the mucoprotein. In pathological hypersecreting states as in asthma and COPD, occurs changes in phenotypic expression with hyperplasia of goblet cells and hypertrophy of serous glands. The excess of mucus causes plugging in the airways and impacts not only lung function, but causes morbidity even mortality.