How does mucus (from your nose) run at temperatures that most liquids freeze but not when the temperature is warm?

In response to last week’s question, “How does mucus (from your nose) run at temperatures that most liquids freeze but not when the temperature is warm?”, my dog rescue friend Kate summarized it simply, “My nose - like the rest of me - doesn't run anywhere.”

My dad’s beach buddy Bob determined, “It depends where your nose has been.” And my college roommie John observed, “My nose seems to run no matter what time of year (and my feet smell). Isn't that backwards? Go figure.”

My writing and sailing friend Rich observed, “The question made me ponder my mucous membrane and the world’s influence upon it. As with so much in life in which no answers were forthcoming, there are only more questions. Questions like why does my nose also run when I slice an onion? Why does it run in the spring when mother nature tosses the sperm of millions of trees into air and up my nose? It could be that all of these things irritate me. If that was the answer, then my nose should run every time my boss walks into the room.”

My friend Swany used the origin of the word for his answer. “We need to break down the word mucus. "Muc-" or Muck, if you will. Muck is defined as soft, moist barnyard manure or as slimy dirt or filth. This is just gross. Then what's left is "-us." Us, as in you and I, we. We all have muck in us. Mucus. So if you've ever been on a farm, warm manure expands and steams while cold manure contracts. Contracted mucus can run out of your nose easier than expanded mucus.” (Size does matter. It's been said in Hollywood circles that Karl Malden never had nasal congestion issues.)”

My cycling friend Ted found the cruder view. “This should be an easy one for someone with a real snotty attitude! But it’s snot!! It seems that Boogers are one of those curious substances found in nature that industry has been trying to replicate for years. Imagine putting boogers in your radiator--it would make anitfreeze positively obsolete. I don't think we should question why; we should just maximize our snotty potential!!

My engineering friend Richard found a scientific answer, “Because bodily fluids are at body temperature, not air temperature.” To this, my friend Kevin delved further, “It is purely a manner of salt content and viscosity. Given there is a percentage of salt within our mucus, it's freezing temperature is going to be lower than that of water (0°C). Also, the water content of the mucus will dictate the amount of flow which is available. In warmer temps, the body will try to hold onto water internally so that it can be more successful at cooling the body through sweat. Hence, not allowing the sinus system to use it for mucus. Of course, I could be completely wrong.”

In closing, my friend Royce “respectfully deferred to Kinky Friedman’s video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JRmKaGP9xc.”

Please share your thoughts about "things that make you go 'Hmmm' ”:

      Why is the third hand on the (analog) watch called the second hand?

Live well...laugh often and heartily…. have a good week and never regret anything that made you smile!