• Next (in period)

• Previous (in period)

• Above (in group)

• Below (in group)

• Periodic Table

Tutorials

• Atomic Structure

• Electrovalent Bonding

• Covalent Bonding

• Water

• Transition Metals

• Metal or Non-metal?

• Noble Gases

General

• Element Identification Timeline

What the name means: Selenium was named from the Greek word for the Moon, Selene.

Who identified selenium? It was identified by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1817. Berzelius was attempting to purify a metal called tellurium. He noticed that the tellurium sample was contaminated with an unidentified element. This new element burned with a blue flame and gave off an odour similar to that of a radish. Berzelius named the element selenium, from the Greek word for the Moon. (This was because the recently discovered tellurium had been named after the Roman Earth goddess, Telles).

About selenium: Selenium is not found free in nature. When it is extracted from its compounds it can be isolated as a silvery metal or as a red powder. It was noticed that selenium could be used to convert light into an electrical signal. This discovery paved the way for the development of the photoelectric cell and the television. Selenium is an essential micronutrient for most living things. Some plants have the ability to store selenium, even though it is toxic in such quantities to most organisms.