Gustatory System:

Gustatory system or sense of taste is a sensory system that perceives and distinguishes tastes, prepares the gastrointestinal system to receive food by causing salivation and swallowing, helps determine if food is safe to eat, and provides needed nutrients. It works with vision and smell to evaluate food. Parts of the gustatory system include:

• Taste buds cover the tongue with thousands of small, visible bumps (papillae). Within each papilla are hundreds of non-visible taste buds (one exception: filiform papillae don’t contain taste buds). Some 2,000-5,000 taste buds are located on the front and back of the tongue, soft palate, upper esophagus. Each taste bud contains 50-100 taste receptor cells that sense five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and savory (also called umami). 
• Gustatory cortex is the brain area responsible for perceiving/distinguishing different tastes. 
• Central pathways in the gustatory system process information about taste.