In fact, why is the stuff in our bodies the colour that it is?
I’ve noticed (and admit, so have you) that my snot changes colour sometimes. It can be quite green or veer into yellow depending on my health status.
Maybe some of you know why urine is yellow and blood is red as well.
Somehow, I imagined that this sort of inquiry would be right up the alley of this board, but a search of the last two weeks came up, er, dry.
So, please enlighten this doper.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-8250,00.html
The green colour is due to immune cells called neutrophils. These are the first cells to appear when bacteria start infecting the nasopharynx. Neutrophils will engulf the bacteria (phagocytosis) and begin to destroy them within themselves using potent digestive enzymes (amongst other things, another being hydrogen peroxide). One of these is lactoferrin and other enzymes are dependent on iron for their activity. The colouration therefore comes from the iron. Ferrous iron compounds are green. It turns yellow the bacteria have been around for a while and other cells start moving in and dying
Dr Martin Powell, Caerphilly, Wale
Long, long ago, our family doctor told me that if er, snot, was green, it meant an infection (as Qadgop said above).
I assume blood is red due to the amount of iron in it, but I’m not sure.
I’d like to know about the color of urine, myself. I’m a Type I diabetic and when my blood sugar or ketones are high, my urine has a stronger or darker yellow color than when they’re low–when they’re low, it’s almost colorless.
Do NOT assume that green color means a bacterial infection!!! It does necessarily follow! Viral infections (among others) can cause green snot!! Do not demand antibiotics because your snot is green, please.
On a related subject the master discusses: Why is, um, fecal matter brown?
in brief:
As has been mentioned before, not to be confused with our Billy Rubin.
When my allergies are acting up, my snot is green. My ENT said green snot does NOT always indicate a sinus infection, bacterial or viral. Snot may also be “greener” in the morning because of all the goop just hanging around in there during the night.
Personally I’ve only had green snot when ill. It is usually pearly white.
Quit bragging. 