In the mucosa of the oral cavity there are special formations called taste buds,

representing specific terminal apparatus that perceive gustatory excitation. In the

adult, buds are placed mainly at the tip of the tongue, on her lateral and dorsal
faces(except for the middle portion of the dorsal surface), as well as on the anterior
and posterior of the epiglottis, on the posterior wall of the pharynx, on the anterior
palatine arch and on the soft palate. In the child, taste buds are much more widely
distributed then in the adult. At elderness their amount decreases. Taste buds from
different parts of the oral mucosa receive nerve fibres from four different nerves:
glossopharyngeal, vagus, facial, and trigeminal nerve.

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