THE SENSE OF

TASTE: 1
Papillae and Taste Receptor
Dr. Joshua Owolabi
Specific Objectives: 2

• Papillae
• Taste Receptors
 Anatomy of the Taste Receptor [Taste Buds] 3

• Taste buds contain the taste receptor cells, which are also known as
gustatory cells
• The taste buds are found on the as papillae 
• Receptor cells of the taste buds can detect five basic elements of taste
perception as follows: 
• salty 
• sour
• bitter 
• sweet 
• umami
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• The gustatory areas of the tongue has taste receptor cells that
perceive and send information detected by specialized receptors
and ion channels
• Stimuli reach the brain via the seventh, ninth and tenth cranial
nerves.
• On average, the human tongue has 2,000–8,000 taste buds
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Papillae and Taste Buds 6
 Papillae and Taste Buds 7

• The taste buds contain the taste [chemoreceptors]

cells and they are found on the papillae on the
tongue surface.
• There are four types of lingual papillae
• However, only three types contain taste buds in
human tongue:
1. Fungiform papillae:
• they are broad headed and appear mushroom-shaped
• they are located mainly at the dorsal surface; towards
the front or anterior aspect of the tongue and sides of the
tongue
• Each fungiform papillae typically contains 3-5 taste buds. 
• They are innervated by facial nerve.
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2. Foliate papillae:
• They are in ridges and grooves towards the
posterior part of the tongue found at the
lateral borders.
• The foliate papillae contains more than 100
taste buds each.
• They are innervated by facial nerve (anterior
papillae) and glossopharyngeal
nerve (posterior papillae).
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3. Circumvallate papillae:
• Circumvallate papillae are few; may be just
about 10 - 14 on most people’s tongues
• They are in the posterior part of the tongue.
• They are organized in a circular-shaped row
just anterior to the  sulcus terminalis of the
tongue.
• They are associated with ducts of Von Ebner's
glands
• They each contain more than 100 taste buds.
• They are innervated by the glossopharyngeal
nerve.
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• **4. The filiform papillae:

• The filiform papillae the most numerous but do not contain taste
buds.
• They show increased keratinisation 
• They provide mechanical abrasion
 Anatomy of the Taste Bud 11

• The bud is a bulb-like arrangement of cells

• It is formed by two kinds of cells:
• the supporting cells
• the gustatory cells.
• The supporting are also known as the
sustentacular cells 
• They are typically arranged to form an outer
envelope of the bud.
• Other sustentacular cells are found within the bud
between the gustatory cells.
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• The gustatory cells are the taste cells or the chemoreceptor

• They occupy the central part of the taste bud
• Each gustatory cell is spindle-shaped
• The gustatory cell relatively large spherical centrally positioned nucleus
• The apical/peripheral end of the cell terminates at the gustatory pore
bearing the fine filament called gustatory hair.
• A central process passes toward the deep extremity of the bud, and
there ends in single or bifurcated varicosities.
• Nerve fibrils, having no medullary sheaths enter the taste bud and end
in fine extremities between the gustatory cells
• Other nerve fibrils- supposedly nerves of ordinary sensation and not
gustatory- ramify between the supporting cells and terminate in fine
extremities
• The taste bud has an average life time of 10 days
 Taste: the Process 13
• Tastes Receptor Cells
Apical ends
Microvilli
Taste pore

Receptor
potential:
Voltage shift