This is the area in the brain which controls language processing.

• A. Broca's area
• B. Wernicke's area
• C. Amygdala
• D. Hypothalamus

Answer: (B)

Language processing, especially understanding speech and text, is localized mainly to Wernicke's area in the left hemisphere. This region, in the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus, decodes and interprets linguistic input to extract meaning. When this area is damaged, comprehension is impaired even though speech may be fluent, a pattern known as Wernicke's aphasia. Broca's area, by contrast, governs language production and grammar—damage here causes halting speech with preserved comprehension. The amygdala deals with emotions, and the hypothalamus with autonomic and hormonal regulation; neither directly governs language processing. Thus, Wernicke's area is the brain region most closely tied to language understanding.