Taste receptors

Taste receptors in the tongue (better known as taste buds) contain specialised sensory neurones that transmit impulses to the brain which works out whether you have something sweet, sour, bitter or salty in your mouth, or perhaps something that combines some of those attributes. The average person has about 10,000 taste buds and they are replaced about every two weeks.

NOTE:

As you will see, the difference between a pure receptor (which turns stimulation into a signal) and a neurone (nerve impulse carrier) can become blurred and a seven-year PhD would be required to begin to understand the nuances (especially as the brain contains around 100 billion neurones).