Patty Kaliher on thu 17 apr 08
One of my favorite words is "mucouciliaryescalator". It just rolls off the
tongue and I use it whenever I can find an excuse.
I just read it's definition in a Clayart post and wanted to pass it along.
>My understanding is that it is not a matter of the finest silica particles
getting deeper into the lungs. There is nothing to prevent any of the silica
particles from getting deep into the lungs if we breath them. In other
words, if they are small enough to be airborne and a person breathes them,
they will get deep in the lungs. As I understand it, the cilia on the inside
surface of a healthy lung can expel the coarser silica particles (they move
them up into the bronchial passages, where the coughing reflex is
initiated), but they cannot handle the finest ones, which simply remain in
place, and the lung tissue reacts by growing nodules of scar tissue around
them. If this goes on long enough, the result is greatly diminished lung
capacity and some variation of silicosis. Not sure of the author. <
I would add that smoking destroys the cilia and thus the
mucouciliaryescalator.
Patty Kaliher
Vince Pitelka on thu 17 apr 08
Patty Kaliher wrote:
"One of my favorite words is "mucouciliaryescalator". It just rolls off the
tongue and I use it whenever I can find an excuse.
I just read it's definition in a Clayart post and wanted to pass it along.
Not sure of the author."
That was mine, Patty, and in the same post I did point out that smoking
destroys the cilia. And thank you for that incredible word. Now, when I am
lecturing my students about the dangers of silica, I can use
"mucouciliaryescalator."
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Craft
Tennessee Tech University
vpitelka@dtccom.net; wpitelka@tntech.edu
http://iweb.tntech.edu/wpitelka
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