What are Broca's and Wernicke's areas and why are they so crucial to us? Click here to learn about how we process language and produce speech!
Figure 1: An MRI scan of the brain
Introduction
There are several cortices located in the left hemisphere of the brain that are involved in speech function. The most important cortices involved in these tasks are Wernicke’s center and Broca’s center.
Broca’s area
In the lower frontal lobe of the brain there is a section of the cortex that controls the muscles of the face, tongue, pharynx, and jaws - this is Broca’s area, which is the area of speech motor organs, i.e. motor skills of speech.
Wernicke’s Speech Center
Wernicke’s speech center is responsible for understanding speech. This "speech center" This is a large area in the superior posterior portion of the temporal lobe, in the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus, not far (behind) from the primary auditory cortex. It occupies the posterior third of the superior temporal gyrus and part of the inferior parietal lobule.
Its main function is the conversion of auditory signals into neural codes of words that activate the corresponding images or concepts. It is in Wernicke’s area that the signals caused by speech are sent from the primary auditory cortex. Damage to this area greatly affects a person’s ability to understand speech sounds/cues.
The arcuate bundle connects Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, forming a system responsible for speech. Damage to Wernicke's center causes sensory aphasia, when the patient has difficulty perceiving heard speech or written text, but is able to speak.
Personal Opinion
I firmly believe that anyone involved in any area of applying neuroscience to teaching should familiarise themselves with Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area as they are crucial elements of an incredibly wide field of studies that is speech.
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