Background:Taste buds, the chemoreceptors for the sense of taste (gustation)
are in humans mainly located in the epithelium of the circumvallate papillae of the tongue. Aims: To note the distribution and age changes in the circumvallate papillae and taste buds. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in 41 specimens of tongue collected from the Department of Forensic Medicine and Labour Room, Govt Medical College, Kozhikode. Tissue bits from the region of circumvallate papilla were fixed, processed, stained and analysed under light microscope. Results: In circumvallate papilla, the taste buds were located on the side wall. Taste buds on trench wall were found only in 24% of the specimens. Statistical analysis revealed no significant correlation between the number of taste buds and age. The number of connective tissue papillae also showed no significant change with age.