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    Tasting
   

The tongue has about 10,000 taste buds. The taste buds are linked to the brain by nerve fibers. Food particles are detected by the taste buds, which send nerve signals to the brain.

Certain areas of the tongue are more sensitive to certain tastes, like bitter, sour, sweet, or salty. Often, taste sensations are a mixture of these qualities.

Review Date: 10/5/2008
Reviewed By: Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Gene Therapeutics Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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