Final answer:
Taste receptor cells in vertebrates are specialized receptor cells, distinct from bipolar sensory neurons like olfactory receptor cells. They interact with bipolar cells to transmit taste information to the gustatory nerves.
Step-by-step explanation:
In vertebrates, olfactory receptor cells are bipolar sensory neurons, but taste receptor cells are examples of specialized receptor cells. Unlike olfactory neurons that have dendrites extending into the olfactory epithelium and cilia for trapping odorants, taste receptors are specialized cells not classified as neurons. These taste receptor cells release neurotransmitters onto a bipolar cell, which then synapses with the gustatory nerves. These differences reflect the unique adaptations of the sensory systems for processing different chemical stimuli. Olfactory neurons are unique in that they are one of the few sensory signals that reach the cerebral cortex directly without first passing through the thalamus.