What makes snot slippery? How about vaginal lubrication?

Factual Questions
1

I did a couple of searches on “snot” and “mucus” and while there were plenty of threads posted, none appeared to ask this specific question.

So - what makes snot slippery?

Is it related to the chemical composition of oils/hydrocarbons?

Is it because of the proteins in it - I believe proteins are long-chain molecules; is it the long-chain structure that results in slipperiness?

How closely related are snot and vaginal lubrication? Is VL slippery for the same reasons snot is?

Thank you.

2

My boogers tend to be on the sticky side.

3

Ah - those are the boogers, though - what about the snot?

4

mucus - noun

The viscous, slippery substance that consists chiefly of mucin (glycoproteins), water, cells, and inorganic salts and is secreted as a protective lubricant coating by cells and glands of the mucous membranes.

[Latin mucus.]

Excerpted from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Crap. My dictionary is 12 years old!

So basically snot is a type of runny self-made slime. Everything you wanted to know about mucus, but were afraid to ask.

5

DeVena - great link - informative. Thank you.

So based on the fact that mucus is largely made up of “glycoproteins” is it the long-chain structure of the proteins that make it so slippery?

6

Well Glycoproteins are from carbohydrates combining with proteins. This combo then sucks up water like it’s nobody’s business. Albumin, a glycoprotein, is what makes egg whites, well, slicker than snot.