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How Does Lungs Get Black When You Smoke?

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Larry Patterson Profile
Larry Patterson answered
Also, the smoke and heat destroy the cilia (sp?) which are tiny hair like filters in the bronchial tubes.  The purpose of the cilia are to catch particles in the air from getting imbedded in the lungs.  Smoking stops the cilia from doing its job.  They stop waving which is their normal means of stopping all types of particles from getting into the lungs.  It is almost like you work in a coal mine with no breathing protection.
I am not a medical person but this is somewhere in the ball park.  The more objects that get into the lungs that don't belong there naturally, the more discoloration of the lungs will occur.  Similar to miner's black lung but slower to occur.

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