Sweetness is detected the moment something sugary touches the tongue. Taste buds contain tiny sensing cells that react to sweet substances in food. When a sweet drink or snack dissolves in saliva, the sweetness reaches small openings on the taste bud. The taste cells respond by sending a signal forward which tells the brain that the flavor is sweet. As soon as these cells react, they create a small electrical message that travels to nearby nerve endings. The brain reads these messages and forms