how do taste buds work

Taste buds work by detecting chemical substances in food and converting them into electrical signals that the brain interprets as taste.

Chemical Detection. Taste buds are housed within structures called papillae on the tongue. When food is chewed and dissolved in saliva, chemicals enter the taste pore at the top of the bud.
Signal Transduction. Inside the bud, receptor cells detect specific chemicals. Salty and sour tastes are detected by ion channels, while sweet, bitter, and umami tastes use G protein-coupled receptors.
Nerve Transmission. Once activated, receptor cells release neurotransmitters that stimulate nearby nerve fibers, sending electrical impulses to the brainstem and eventually the brain.
Flavor Perception. The brain integrates these signals with information from the nose (smell), as well as food texture and temperature, to form the complete experience of flavor.