fungiform papilla

Fungiform papillae are small, mushroom-shaped structures on the tongue that contain taste buds. These papillae are primarily responsible for detecting sweet and salty tastes, while other areas of the mouth are more sensitive to sour and bitter flavors. The tongue itself is a muscular organ on the floor of the mouth that aids in chewing, swallowing, and speech in humans. It is covered in a mucous membrane that contains papillae, which house taste buds sensitive to different chemical constituents of food. These taste buds are composed of receptor cells that transmit flavor sensations to the nervous system.12