Crossword clues for taste bud
taste bud
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Wiktionary
n. (alternative form of tastebud English)
WordNet
n. an oval sensory end organ on the surface of the tongue [syn: tastebud, gustatory organ]
Wikipedia
Taste buds contain the taste receptors. They are located around the small structures known as papillae found on the upper surface of the tongue, soft palate, upper esophagus, the cheek and epiglottis. These structures are involved in detecting the five elements of taste perception: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami; through the combination of these elements we detect "flavors." A popular myth assigns these different tastes to different regions of the tongue; in reality these tastes can be detected by any area of the tongue. Via small openings in the tongue epithelium, called taste pores, parts of the food dissolved in saliva come into contact with the taste receptors. These are located on top of the taste receptor cells that constitute the taste buds. The taste receptor cells send information detected by clusters of various receptors and ion channels to the gustatory areas of the brain via the seventh, ninth and tenth cranial nerves.
On average, the human tongue has 2,000–8,000 taste buds.
Usage examples of "taste bud".
I could feel every taste bud on her tongue as it glided over my swollen nubbin, glad that she took the direct approach and didn’.
He might have been driven to nausea had there not been fresh sensations flooding his system from each nerve ending and taste bud.
Imagine a slow slide down a long, slippery bannister of a tongue, each taste bud a tease and tingle in just the right place, and you can understand how Molly ended up a satisfied puddle snuggled in that spot between his neck and shoulder that women so love.
He said it was hellish when he had a drink and they all started fightin' for a taste bud.