The special organs of taste are the taste buds located primarily on the surface of the tongue, where they are associated with tiny elevations called papillae surrounded by deep folds. A taste bud is a cluster of approximately 100 taste cells representing all taste sensations and 100 supporting cells that separate the taste cells. Taste buds can also be found on the roof of the mouth and in the throat. An adult has approximately 10,000 taste buds.