Which is your largest defensive organ?
Human body
114
Although you can’t see them, germs
are always landing on your body
and trying to get inside it. Your
body has lots of clever ways
of keeping them out.
Saved by spit
The liquid in your mouth
is called saliva. As well
as helping you digest food,
saliva protects your mouth,
tongue, and teeth from
attack by bacteria.
Poison tears
Germs that land
on your eyes are
washed away by
tears, which come
from glands above
your eyes. Tears
contain the chemical
lysozyme, which kills
bacteria by making
them burst open.
Sticky business
Germs get into your lungs
when you breathe in. They
get trapped in a sticky liquid
called mucus, which lines your
airways. Tiny beating hairs
continually push the mucus up
to your throat to be swallowed.
Earwax flows
slowly out of
your ears all the
time, flushing out
dirt and germs.
Body defences
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