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Taste bud

Taste buds (or lingual papillae) are small structures on the upper surface of the tongue that provide information about the taste of food being eaten.

There are four types of taste buds present in the human tongue.

There are generally four types of taste sensations in the tongue. There is a fifth taste sensation in the tongue; however, it is still in debate. This taste sensation is called umami, which is believed to be responsible for the savoriness of some foods. The compound glutamate is believed to be the initiator for this taste.