The Probert Encyclopaedia of Medicine

TASTE BUDS

Taste buds are microscopic onion-shaped clusters of cells buried in the epidermal cell layer of the papilla, but do not protrude above the surface. The taste buds contain receptor cells that signal information about taste characteristics to the central nervous system. Each taste bud consists of about thirty to eighty nonnervous cells, many of which are connected to nerve endings. These cells sense the contents of the mouth via small, narrow gustatory pores. Taste buds are composed of three different types of cells. The type one cell, also called the dark cell, constitutes 60 to 80% of the cell total. It is believed by many researchers that these are not sensory cells, but act as a supporting system for the other cells. The type two cells (light cells), which constitute 15 to 30% of the cell total, and the type three cells, which constitute 7 to 14%, are considered the true taste receptors.

Taste buds are not confined to the tongue. A thin scattering of taste buds can be found in many parts of the mouth's mucous membrane, including the epiglottis, pharynx, larynx, soft palate, and uvula. There are also taste buds on the upper third of the esophagus. Altogether, the average adult has about 10,000 taste buds.
Research Taste Buds