Vallate Papillae

The vallate papillae are involved in the sensations of taste and have taste buds embedded in their surfaces. They lie near the back of the palatine section of the tongue and are arranged in a V-shaped formation directed toward the throat. There is a set of seven to twelve of these bulging papillae. Under high magnification, these projections look rather like the round, domed keep of a castle surrounded by a deep moat and an outer steep-sided dike. Large numbers of taste buds are arranged in tiers on the outer walls of the "keep" and on both inner and outer banks of the "dike." At the bottom of the "moat," there are secretory gland cells that produce a watery mucus that envelops the taste buds. The taste buds of the vallate papillae are sensitive to bitter flavors.