taste buds

Taste buds are chemical, sensory taste organs located on the tongue, soft palate, upper esophagus and epiglottis. They are scientifically referred to as papillae. Papillae can sense salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami regardless of their location. The human tongue has 2000 to 8000 taste buds. The average life of a taste bud is just 10 days.