Location and variation in number of taste buds in human fungiform papillae

Serial sections of 182 fungiform papillae, obtained at autopsy from 22 individuals aged 2 days to 90 years, were examined by light microscopy with regard to location and number of taste buds. The taste buds were always found on the convex, dorsal surface of the papillae but otherwise failed to display any preferential location pattern. A total of 262 taste buds, an average of 1.4 per papilla, were found. However, there was considerable variation in the occurrence of taste buds, both from papilla to papilla and from case to case. While the number of taste buds in a single papilla varied from 0 to 27, 63% of the papillae had no taste buds at all, 26% had 1-3 buds and the remainder 4 or more buds. The mean number of taste buds per papilla varied from 0 to 9 between individuals; no dependence upon sex or age could be demonstrated for this variation. The significance of these anatomical findings with regard to physiological studies on taste involving the fungiform papillae is discussed.