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Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...

Cerebral Hemispheres

Cerebral Hemispheres

The human brain, a complex organ, is functionally divided into two cerebral hemispheres—left and right. These hemispheres are interconnected by a structure of paramount importance, the corpus callosum. This substantial bundle of neural fibers is not just a bridge between the hemispheres but a crucial element for the brain's comprehensive functioning. It enables efficient communication between the two hemispheres, allowing each side of the brain to control and receive sensory and motor...

Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Vision

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

Direct interhemispheric visual input to human speech areas.

G Di Virgilio¹, S Clarke

¹Institut de Physiologie, Université de Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.

Human Brain Mapping

|April 22, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals direct connections between the right inferior temporal cortex and human language areas (Broca's and Wernicke's). This finding advances our understanding of interhemispheric communication in the brain.

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Last Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

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Published on: June 14, 2014

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology

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Mapping the After-effects of Theta Burst Stimulation on the Human Auditory Cortex with Functional Imaging

Mapping the After-effects of Theta Burst Stimulation on the Human Auditory Cortex with Functional Imaging

Published on: September 12, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Human Brain Connectivity

Background:

Limited understanding of human cerebral cortex connectivity.
Nonhuman primate models are insufficient for human-specific functions.
Broca's and Wernicke's areas are crucial for language; right inferior temporal cortex for visual recognition.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate monosynaptic interhemispheric input from the right inferior temporal cortex to Wernicke's and Broca's areas.
To characterize human brain connectivity relevant to language and visual processing.

Main Methods:

Tracing of anterogradely degenerating axons using the Nauta method.
Analysis of brain tissue from a patient with a right inferior temporal infarction.

Main Results:

Direct monosynaptic connections identified from the right inferior temporal cortex to both Broca's and Wernicke's areas.
Higher density of afferents observed in Wernicke's area compared to Broca's area.
Evidence suggests widely heterotopic interhemispheric connections and parallel pathways in visuo-verbal processing.

Conclusions:

Human interhemispheric connections can be widely heterotopic.
Parallel pathways likely exist for visuo-verbal processing.
Patchy afferent distribution in Wernicke's area suggests functional compartmentalization.