702 



THE SENSE OF TASTE. 



205. 



They vary in shape somewhat, but for the most part 

 are conical or filiform, and covered by a thick layer of 

 epidermis, which is arranged over them, either in an im- 

 bricated manner, or 

 is prolonged from 

 their surface in the 

 form of fine stiff pro- 

 jections, hair-like in 

 appearance, and in 

 some instances in 

 structure also (fig. 

 205). From their 

 peculiar structure, it 

 seems likely that 

 these papilla) have 

 a mechanical func- 

 tion, or one allied 

 to that of touch, 

 rather than of taste ; 

 the latter sense being 

 probably seated espe- 

 cially in the other two 

 varieties of papilla?, 

 the circumvallate and 

 ihefungiform. 



The epithelium of 

 the tongue is of the 

 30). It covers every 



squamous or tesselated kind (p. 



part of the surface; but over the fungiform papilla* 



* Fig. 205. Two filiform papillae, one with epithelium, the other 

 without (from Kolliker, after Todd and Bowman). r -~. p, the sub- 

 stance of the papillae dividing at their upper extremities into secondary 

 papillae ; a, artery ; and v, vein, dividing into capillary loops ; e, epi- 

 thelial covering, laminated between the papilla 1 , but extended into hair- 

 like processes/, from the extremities of the secondary papillae. 



