What are taste buds?

1 Answer

Taste buds are sensory organs that are found on the tongue and allow to experience tastes that are sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. Umami means tasty.

In short , they are taste receptors .
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How taste buds work ?

The tongue is made up of epithelial tissue and contains the taste receptors present on Papillae .

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Food mixes with saliva and come into contact with taste buds . Through small openings on tongue , the taste buds stimulates the nerve fibers which help in determining the taste .

The taste receptors are not found in special areas on the tongue as once thought but are found in all areas. Others are located on the roof, sides and back of the mouth, and in the throat. Each taste bud contains 50 to 100 taste receptor cells.