Final answer:
Broca's area is responsible for language production, and damage to it can result in expressive aphasia, characterized by impaired speech production and fluency.
Step-by-step explanation:
Broca's area is a region of the frontal lobe associated with the motor commands necessary for speech production. It is typically located in the left cerebral hemisphere, which is responsible for language production in about 95% of people. Damage to Broca's area can lead to a condition known as expressive aphasia, where an individual's ability to produce articulate speech is compromised. This is typically characterized by non-fluency, broken, or halting speech, and can include the loss of grammar. For instance, following a car accident that causes damage to this area, a person may completely lose the ability to form meaningful language, despite having no physical issues with their mouth or vocal cords.
Historical observations by French physician Pierre Paul Broca of patients with damage in the left frontal lobe ultimately contributed to the discovery of Broca's area's role in language. One famous case included a patient who could only say 'tan' which helped Broca identify the specific brain area involved in articulate speech. The types of aphasias resulting from damage to Broca's area differ significantly from those associated with Wernicke's area, which affects language comprehension rather than speech production.
Given this understanding, the correct answer to the question is (a) Controls Language Production; May Cause Expressive Aphasia.