The Textbooks Were Wrong About How Your Tongue Works NYT: Science By: Joanne Silberner 29 May 2024 at 11:08 The perception of taste is remarkably complex, not only on the tongue but in organs throughout the body. ยฉ AlamyThe taste bud diagram, used in many textbooks over the years, originated in a 1901 study but was actually showing the sensitivity of different areas of the tongue.