Read this line from the main text:

Furthermore, mucus is not just the nasty gunk you see when you are sick.

Which line from the "What's in a Name?" article makes a similar claim?
Mucus is a great word, not only because it gives name to an important bodily function
Other words for this powerfully important human-health tool include slime and phlegm.
All of these words have the same giggle-power, simply from the combination of consonants and vowels.
While you may assume that words like snot and boogers are relatively new slang terms, they are not.