Rather constant and mundane sensations may be virtually ignored by the CNS as the feel of wearing clothing. If too strong a signal is received from the eardrum, the CNS can tighten a muscle that helps stabilize the ear bones and inhibit their movement. Chemoreception It is marvelous that we can taste salt even though the cells may be bathed in a stronger solution of salt than they are detecting. Most of the taste buds respond to more than one of these parameters, but at different rates which allows the CNS to straighten out the sensation to these four. Taste in mammals is one of a few of the senses that is not sensed directly by nerve cells.
Taste buds are epithelial cells and are constantly being replaced.
Nerves attach to them and respond to their membrane voltage changes. The nerves are not destroyed or replaced. Our sense of smell is accomplished by neurons directly. They have processes that stick up through the epithelium in the nasal areas. We can detect a very wide range of different smells.