Final answer:
The ability to speak is severely impacted when there is damage to Broca's area in the brain, providing support for the principle of localization of function. This area is crucial for language production and is located in the left hemisphere, although the right hemisphere also plays a role in language functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principle of localization of function within the brain received strong support from Broca's report that a small area of brain damage resulted in a pronounced loss of ability to speak without causing substantial disruption of other functions. People who suffer damage to Broca's area, which is an important integration area in the left hemisphere of the brain, experience a loss of language and speech functions, known as aphasias.
French physician Pierre Paul Broca conducted post-mortem examinations on patients who had lost their speech abilities and found abnormalities in the left frontal lobe of the brain. He concluded that this area, now known as Broca's area, was responsible for language production. However, it's important to note that while the majority of language functions are localized in the left hemisphere, damage to the right side of the brain can also affect language use, such as the understanding of figurative speech and nonverbal aspects of communication.