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.

   * Fungiform papillae - as the name suggests, these taste buds are
     slightly mushroom shaped if looked at in section. These are present
     mostly at the apex (tip) of the tongue.
   * Filiform papillae - these are thin, longer taste buds, and are the most
     numerous.
   * Foliate papillae - these are ridges and grooves towards the posterior
     part of the tongue.
   * Vallate papillae - there are only about 3-14 of these taste buds on
     most people, and they are present at the back of the oral part of the
     tongue. They are arranged in a V-shaped row just in front of the sulcus
     terminalis of the tongue.