taste bud, any one of many peripheral taste organs distributed over the tongue, epiglottis, and the roof of the mouth. The five basic taste sensations registered by chemical stimulation of the taste buds are sweet, sour, bitter, savory, and salty. All other tastes perceived are combinations of these five basic flavors plus the input from olfactory receptors. Each taste bud rests in a spheric pocket, which extends through the epithelium. Gustatory cells and supporting cells form each bud, which has a surface opening and an opening in the basement membrane. Also called gustatory organ.
