Mucus is made from giant molecules called mucins, each consisting of a central protein backbone with thousands of sugar molecules branching off it. These sugars allow individual mucins to become entangled, forming a dense, nearly impenetrable thicket – a Great Wall of Mucus that stops wayward microbes from penetrating deeper into the body. And if that wasn’t deterrent enough, the wall is manned by viruses. When you think of viruses, you probably think of Ebola, HIV, or influenza: well-known villains that make us sick. But most viruses infect and kill microbes instead. These are called
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phages as a wall to protect foreign microbes
