Final answer:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurological disease that affects the motor neurons responsible for voluntary muscle movements. It begins with muscle weakening and lack of coordination and progresses to paralysis as the disease destroys the neurons that control speech, breathing, and swallowing. The degeneration of the lateral portion of the spine leads to a decline in voluntary muscle control over time.
Step-by-step explanation:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurological disease that affects the motor neurons responsible for voluntary muscle movements. The disease begins with muscle weakening and lack of coordination and eventually leads to the destruction of the neurons that control speech, breathing, and swallowing, resulting in paralysis. The degeneration of the lateral portion of the spine, which controls muscle movement, hardens over time, causing a decline in voluntary muscle control.