Where does the name selenium come from
What is the Latin name of selenium?
Borrowed from New Latin selēnium, a word coined by Swedish chemist Berzelius in 1818, from Ancient Greek Σελήνη (Selḗnē, “moon”).
What is selenium also known as?
Selenium (Se) was discovered by a Swedish Chemist J.J. Berzelius in 1817 and the element was initially named “Selene” after the Greek goddess of the moon. It is one of the most widely distributed elements of chalcogen group in Earth’s crust and commonly found in rocks and soil.
What is the history of selenium?
Selenium was discovered by Jöns Jacob Berzelius, a Swedish chemist, in 1817 after analyzing an impurity that was contaminating the sulfuric acid (H2SO4) being produced at a particular factory in Sweden.
Who found the element selenium?
Selenium/Discoverers
What family is selenium in?
chalcogens
The oxygen family, also called the chalcogens, consists of the elements found in Group 16 of the periodic table and is considered among the main group elements. It consists of the elements oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium and polonium.
How does selenium exist in nature?
In nature, selenium is rarely found in its elemental form and only occurs in a few minerals — for example in sulfide ores such as pyrite, where it partially replaces sulfur.
What is selenium color?
The most stable form, crystalline hexagonal selenium, is metallic gray. Crystalline monoclinic selenium is a deep red color. Amorphous selenium is red in powder form and is black in vitreous form.
Where in the world is selenium found?
Because selenium occurs naturally in Earth’s crust, its presence in air, water, and soil results from both geologic reactions and human activity. Selenium is found concentrated naturally in soils that overlie bedrock with high selenium concentrations.
What is an interesting fact about selenium?
Here are some interesting facts about selenium: Selenium gets its name from the Greek word “selene,” which means “moon.” Selene was the Greek goddess of the moon. Selenium has atomic number 34, meaning each atom has 34 protons. The element symbol of selenium is Se.
Is selenium found on the moon?
It is about the naming of elements, specifically, selenium, discovered by the Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius in 1817. He named it after Selene, the Goddess of the Moon. One might therefore assume that selenium has some connection to the moon, but it doesn’t.
Why is selenium toxic?
The inhalation of selenium compounds causes respiratory membrane irritation, pulmonary edema, bronchial inflammation, and pneumonia. Elemental selenium dust exposure also produces mucous membrane irritation, bleeding from the nose, and coughing, among other symptoms.
Is selenium a gas?
Analogous to the behavior of other chalcogens, selenium forms hydrogen selenide, H2Se. It is a strongly odiferous, toxic, and colorless gas.
What foods contain selenium?
Selenium and Healthful Diets
- Many whole grains and dairy products, including milk and yogurt, are good sources of selenium. …
- Pork, beef, turkey, chicken, fish, shellfish, and eggs contain high amounts of selenium.
Can selenium be toxic?
Selenium toxicity can occur with acute or chronic ingestion of excess selenium. Symptoms of selenium toxicity include nausea; vomiting; nail discoloration, brittleness, and loss; hair loss; fatigue; irritability; and foul breath odor (often described as “garlic breath”). Selenium is found in the environment in soil.
Is selenium a metal?
Selenium is a metalloid (an element intermediate in properties between the metals and the nonmetals). The gray, metallic form of the element is the most stable under ordinary conditions; this form has the unusual property of greatly increasing in electrical conductivity when exposed to light.
How much selenium is in an egg?
about 20 mcg
One hard-boiled egg provides about 20 mcg of selenium.
Which vegetable is high in selenium?
Some vegetables that contain more than 2 micrograms of selenium per cupful include raw broccoli, cooked plantains, cooked Brussels sprouts, cooked fresh spinach and shelled soybeans. Asparagus provides close to 4 micrograms in four cooked spears.
Does garlic have selenium?
A single clove of garlic, which is roughly equivalent to a 1-teaspoon serving of chopped garlic, contains 0.4 micrograms of selenium. This amount supplies less than 1 percent of the recommended daily allowance of selenium for healthy adults following a 2,000-calorie diet.