Flexi Says: The chemoreceptors of the mouth are the taste cells that are found in bundles called taste buds. Most of the taste buds are embedded within the tiny papillae, or “bumps,” that cover the tongue(see Figure above). Each receptor has a different way of detecting certain compounds and starting an action potential that alerts the brain. The compounds bind to receptors in the taste cells and stimulate neurons in the taste buds. The action potential moves along the facial nerves to the thalamus and then to the taste center of the cerebral cortex for interpretation by the brain.
