are taste receptors modified epithelial cells
The taste cells are modified epithelial cells that function as sensory receptors. About 50-60 taste cells are located in pear-shaped taste buds and the taste cells through microvilli project into a taste pore. Taste buds are also found on the oral mucosa of the palate and epiglottis. These pear-shaped structures contain about 80 cells arranged around a central taste pore (Figure 9.2). Taste receptor cells are spindle shaped, modified neuro-epithelial cells that extend from the base to the apex of the taste buds. Either of two types of cell found in the bottom layer of the olfactory epithelium; one type is a flattened basal cell proper, and the other is a rounded stem cell called a globose cell. 3. A rounded stem cell found in the taste buds and a progenitor of the specialized taste receptor cells. There are non-receptor basal cells which are located on the basement membrane which do not project into the taste pore. These basal cells differentiate through a series of morphological steps into a mature taste cell. The taste cells are replaced about every 10 days. Taste receptor cells sample oral concentrations of a large number of small molecules and report a sensation of taste to centers in the brainstem. In most animals, including humans, taste buds are most prevalent on small pegs of epithelium on the tongue called papillae. The circumvallate papillae contain taste buds along the sides of whorls and are located in the posterior third of the tongue in the shape of a V. Taste buds are also located in the oral mucosa of the palate and epiglottis. The taste cells are modified epithelial cells that function as sensory receptors. Taste and smell are the principal systems for distinguishing flavors. However, tactile, thermal, and nociceptive sensory input from the oral mucosa contributes to food quality. Saliva also is an important factor in maintaining acuity of taste receptor cells (Figure 9.1). Synaptic vesicles are present near the apex and the basal region in many taste cells. Microvilli from each taste cell project into the taste pore which communicate with the dissolved solutes on the surface of the tongue. These receptor cells are innervated by afferent nerve fibers penetrating the basal lamina. 1 And, no single taste cell contains receptors for both bitter and sweet tastants. 2  Each taste receptor cell is connected, through a synapse, to a sensory neuron leading back to the brain. 3  However, a single sensory neuron can be connected to several taste cells in each of several different taste buds. A microfold cell, which is a cell in the gastrointestinal epithelium covering patches of lymphoid tissue. M cells transport antigens from the intestinal lumen to the underlying lymphoid tissues for recognition and processing.
Yes