Wernicke’s area is the posterior (back) part of the superior temporal gyrus, the top ridge of the temporal lobe, within Brodmann area 22. It is in the dominant hemisphere, typically the left, and there is still no universal agreement on its precise borders. [1]
Lit: the whole superior temporal gyrus, on both sides. The area is part of this gyrus; its exact border is not drawn. Wernicke’s area is the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus, and its precise borders are not universally agreed. [1]
The 3D brain needs JavaScript. The text below still says where Wernicke’s area is and what it does.
Slice
Opens cut by a front (coronal) slice through the superior temporal gyrus, which holds Wernicke’s area. Drag to turn, pinch or scroll to zoom, tap any part to name it; .
Takes part in: speech, reading — see every part of each lit together.
Where it is
It lies within Brodmann area 22 in the superior temporal gyrus of the dominant hemisphere, and is now often understood to cover the posterior portion of that gyrus. [1]
The superior temporal gyrus is one of three (sometimes two) gyri of the temporal lobe, with the lateral sulcus above it and the superior temporal sulcus (not always present or visible) below it. [2]
The front part of area 22 is auditory association cortex, just in front of the primary auditory cortex on the same gyrus; Wernicke’s area is behind it. [1]
In front of it on the same gyrus is the auditory cortex, roughly Brodmann areas 41 and 42, which runs into the lateral sulcus as the transverse temporal (Heschl’s) gyri. [3]
It can extend into nearby regions such as the angular gyrus and parts of the parietal lobe, and its exact size and boundaries vary substantially from person to person. [1]
The dominant hemisphere is typically the left in roughly 95% of right-handed people and in about 70% of left-handed people. [1]
The Superior temporal gyrus article puts it the same way: the gyrus includes Wernicke’s area, which in most people is in the left hemisphere. [2]
What it does
It plays a major role in understanding both spoken and written language. [1]
It receives input from the auditory cortex and plays a major role in assigning meaning to words. [1]
It takes part in interpreting ambiguous words, processing relationships between meanings and integrating context; the matching region on the right helps resolve the less common meanings of ambiguous words. [1]
Its functions extend to understanding figurative expressions and some non-verbal communicative cues. [1]
Connections
The arcuate fasciculus was once thought to link Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas directly; it is now understood to connect the posterior receptive regions with premotor and motor cortices. [1]
Its input comes from the auditory cortex, which lies on the same gyrus just in front of it. [1]
Other names
Brodmann area 22 (BA22): the area lies within it, in its posterior part. [1]
Wernicke’s speech region; named after Carl Wernicke, a German neurologist and psychiatrist, who proposed the region’s role in 1874. [1]
Size
The model has no shape for Wernicke’s area itself, so it is not measured here. The whole left superior temporal gyrus that holds it measures about 106 mm front to back, 49 mm top to bottom and 43 mm side to side on this model (the box it fits in, not its volume). [4]
Facts describe anatomy and normal function only. The 3D model is the adult male BodyParts3D brain (credits and licence); real brains vary in size and shape, so its measurements describe one model, not anyone’s brain.