Discusses the symptoms, possible treatments and famous cases of ALS.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a life threatening neurodegenerative disease. ALS occurs when specific nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary movement gradually degenerate. It could be a result of viral infections, Apoptosis (programmed cell death), trauma, and environmental toxins (Turner). The loss of these motor neurons causes the muscles under control to weaken and waste away leading to paralysis. ALS reveals itself in different …

…Babe Ruth. Gehrig was even tempered and well liked by baseball fans and the press. On June 2nd, 1941, Lou Gehrig died in New York from ALS (www.als.org). ALS is a life threatening disease that affects millions of people every year. It is one of the most distressing as well because there is no proven cure. It is still being researched and hopefully someday, scientists will find a way to cure this upsetting disease.