Typically, however, Wernicke's area is considered to reside in the cortex of the left cerebral hemisphere ...NeuroscientificallyChallengedHome2-MinuteNeuroscienceVideosKnowYourBrainArticlesOtherArticlesGlossaryAbout/ContactYourBrain,ExplainedNeuroscientificallyChallengedHome/2-MinuteNeuroscienceVideos/KnowYourBrainArticles/OtherArticles/Glossary/About/Contact/YourBrain,Explained/NeuroscientificallyChallengedBlogNeuroscientificallyChallengedisaneducationalwebsitewithneurosciencearticles,videos,images,aglossary,andmore.NeuroscientificallyChallengedHome/2-MinuteNeuroscienceVideos/KnowYourBrainArticles/OtherArticles/Glossary/About/Contact/YourBrain,Explained/WhereisWernicke'sarea?ViewfullsizeApproximatelocationofwernicke'sareahighlightedinblue.AlthoughthelocationofWernicke'sareaisoftenpresentedinimagesandtextsasdefinitive,thereissomecontroversyabouttheexactlocationoftheregion.Typically,however,Wernicke'sareaisconsideredtoresideinthecortexoftheleftcerebralhemisphere, surroundingalargegroovecalledthelateralsulcusorSylvianfissure,nearthejunctionbetweentheparietalandtemporallobes.WhatisWernicke'sareaandwhatdoesitdo?Inthesecondhalfofthe19thcentury,neuroscientistsweretryingtocometogripswithanewperspectiveonthebrainthatsuggestedthatthetwocerebralhemisphereswerenotcompletelyequivalentintermsoffunction.ThemostconvincingevidencetosupportthisperspectiveatthatpointhadbeenofferedupbythefamousphysicianPaulBroca,whohadidentifiedanumberofcaseswheredamagetothelefthemisphereproduceddeficitsinlanguage---whereasdamagetotherighthemispherewasmuchlesslikelytodoso.TheseobservationscoincidedwithBroca'sidentificationofwhatwouldcometobeknownasBroca'sarea---abrainregiontypicallyfoundinthelefthemispherethatisthoughttobeimportanttotheproductionofspeech(seethisarticleformoreaboutBroca'sarea).Thisideathatonehemispherecouldbemoreresponsibleforabehaviorthantheother---andinthiscasethatthelefthemispherewasdominantwhenitcametolanguage---wasmostlyforeigntoneuroscientistsbeforeBroca(althoughnotcompletelyunhe