The Special Senses 



243 



something like a puffball fungus and may often be detected 

 by their bright red points when the rest of the tongue 

 is coated. 



Towards the root of the tongue is another kind of 

 papillae, the circum- 

 vallate, eight to 

 fifteen in number, 

 arranged in the 

 form of the letter 

 V, with the apex 

 directed back- 

 wards. 



In many of the 

 papillae are peculiar 

 structures called 

 taste buds or taste 

 goblets. These exist 

 in great numbers 

 and are believed to 

 be connected with 

 nerve fibers. These 

 taste buds are 

 readily excited by 

 savory substances 



and transmit the 



FIG. 127. The Tongue. 



impression along ^ epiglottis . 5, glands at the base of tongue; C, tonsil; 

 the nerves of taste. V % median, circumvallate papilla; E, circumvallate 

 -pi . papillae; F, filiform papillae; H, furrows on border 



of the tongue ; K, fungif orm papilla;. 



supplied with sen- 

 sory nerve fibers which confer taste on the front and on 

 the back part. Nerve branches also pass to the soft palate 

 and neighboring parts and confer taste on them to a limited 

 extent. 



