What projects from each receptor cell to the surface of the tongue through the taste pore?

A gustatory hair projects from each receptor cell, or taste cell, to the surface of the tongue through the taste pore. These gustatory hairs are microvilli that extend outward from the taste cells and play a crucial role in the sensation of taste. When food particles dissolve in saliva, they bind to the gustatory hairs, which activates the taste receptors. This process initiates the signal transduction pathway that eventually leads to the perception of taste.

While taste buds contain groups of taste cells that house the receptor mechanisms for taste, it is the gustatory hairs specifically that extend to the oral cavity through the taste pore and are involved in the detection of taste stimuli. A taste cell is part of the structure of a taste bud and house the gustatory hairs, but it is not the direct projection. Nerve fibers, while essential for transmitting the signals once the taste has been detected, do not project through the taste pore directly; they are involved later in the sensation pathway once activation occurs.