Taste buds have very sensitive microscopic hairs called microvilli (say: mye-kro-VILL-eye). Those tiny hairs send messages to the brain about how something tastes, so you know if it's sweet, sour, bitter, or salty.

Do taste buds change every 7 years?

Taste buds don't change every seven years. They change every two weeks, but there are factors other than taste buds that decide whether you like a certain food.

How does tongue detect taste?

Digestive enzymes in saliva begin to dissolve food into base chemicals that are washed over the papillae and detected as tastes by the taste buds. The tongue is covered with thousands of small bumps called papillae, which are visible to the naked eye.