latika
January 30th, 2004, 04:43 PM
Compared to other animals such as dogs or cats, we human beings have enormous language-based capabilities. Most animals work with physical stimuli, but we humans can also work with abstract information. The genesis of all sciences can be traced back to our linguistic abilities. Underlying this abstract thought processing is the functional lateralization, a distinguishing feature of human brain. Higher cognitive functions like language are lateralized into two hemispheres during the course of human evolution. Various language areas such as Broca’s and Wernicke’s area in the left hemisphere provide the neural substrate to process language information such as speech production and comprehension. Any damage to left hemisphere could hamper our ability to read, write, or understand words.