Taste

Taste, like olfaction is based on the detection of chemicals by specialised chemoreceptors. In amphibians and reptiles, taste buds are located in the mouth and pharynx, unlike mammalian taste buds which are distributed along the tongue. There are five distinct basic qualities to taste: salty, sour, bitter, sweet and umami. When each is stimulated they send different patterns of electrical signals to the nervous system so a taste can be identified.