Abstract
Taste Bud, Nasopharynx, Nasopharyngeal hiatus, Intermediate epithelium, Mouse Summary: In the lateral wall of the mouse nasopharynx,2-6 taste buds were observed on each side. They were located in the area close to the nasopharyngeal hiatus, which was circularly surrounded by the palatopharyngeal eminence, and were embedded in the stratified cuboidal and the stratified squamous types of the intermediate epithelium. It was suggested that the taste buds were related to the reflex mechanism protecting the upper respiratory tract in swallowing, i. e. when the taste buds were stimulated by food and its information was conveyed to the central nervous system, the soft palate was drawn by the levator palati muscle and the palatopharyngeal eminence was contracted by the palatopharyngeus muscle to close the nasopharyngeal hiatus.
