Osmosis video - Taste and the tongue

The tongue is a muscular organ located in the mouth that is involved in a variety of functions, including speech, swallowing, and taste. Taste is believed to be one of the most pleasurable human special senses, and is possible thanks to taste receptor cells in various types of papillae that covers the tongue. Circumvallate, fungiform, and foliate papillae are where the majority of taste buds are located. After chemical tastants excite specific taste receptor epithelial cells, neurotransmitters are released to transduce the signal to afferent sensory nerves. Ultimately, the stimulus terminates in the insula, hypothalamus, and limbic system to determine and appreciate the gustatory sensation.