Final answer:
Taste, certain chemical sensations, and visceral sensations are processed through the facial and glossopharyngeal nerves which synapse at the solitary nucleus in the brain stem, transmitting signals to the thalamus and then to the gustatory cortex.
Step-by-step explanation:
Taste, chemoreception/baroreception, and visceral sensation are through the facial (CN VII) and glossopharyngeal (CN IX) cranial nerves. These sensory inputs are relayed to the solitary nucleus, a medullar nucleus that receives this information. Taste neurons project from taste cells in the tongue, esophagus, and palate to the medulla, located in the brainstem. From the medulla, taste signals travel to the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus, and then to the primary gustatory cortex. Information from different regions of the tongue is segregated in the medulla, thalamus, and cortex, allowing for precise taste perception.