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taste
(tāst)
the sensation caused by the contact of soluble substances with the taste buds on the tongue; the cranial nerves conducting impulses relating to taste are the facial nerve for the front part of the tongue and the glossopharyngeal nerve for the back part. Other senses, such as smell and touch, also play important roles in the experience commonly thought of as tasting. There are four basic tastes: sweet, salt, sour, and bitter. Sometimes alkaline and metallic are also included as basic tastes. The taste buds on the tongue are specialized, and each responds to only one kind of basic taste.
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