# Selenium
## ๐ง Selenium ยท 3D (three.js)
<iframe src="https://wikitube-elements.netlify.app/?el=Se&embed=1" width="100%" height="620" frameborder="0" style="border:0;border-radius:12px;overflow:hidden" allowfullscreen loading="lazy" title="The Elements 3D microsim - Selenium"></iframe>
*Selenium in the live three.js Elements explorer โ drag to orbit the atom, click any tile to compare, slide the temperature.* ยท [โถ open full](https://wikitube-elements.netlify.app/?el=Se)
<!-- ELEMENTS_MICROSIM:END -->
!Selenium plate.svg
*Plate 34 of 118 - animated Bohr shells, stylized per Madelung filling; engraving style per house Arcanity kit.*
## Microsim To Do
*Claimable rows, house pattern. Real Wikipedia articles only.*
- Solar cells and photovoltaics - selenium photovoltaic properties
- Photocell and image sensor - photoconductive applications
- Selenite minerals - selenium ore and extraction
## Links (Wikipedia order)
<!-- injected from _registry/childlinks/Selenium.json (2026-07-30T02:09:12Z) -->
`ASM_International_(society)` ยท `Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth's_crust` ยท `Acid` ยท [[Actinium]] ยท `Agricultural_pollution` ยท `Alexander_Graham_Bell` ยท `Alkali_metal` ยท `Alkaline_earth_metal` ยท [[Aluminium]] ยท `Aluminium_selenide` ยท [[Americium]] ยท `Amine` ยท `Amino_acid` ยท `Amorphous_solid` ยท `Anhydrous` ยท `Anode` ยท [[Antimony]] ยท `Antimony_triselenide` ยท `Antioxidant` ยท `Arachidonic_acid` ยท [[Argon]] ยท [[Arsenic]] ยท `Arsenic_triselenide` ยท `Aspirin` ยท [[Astatine]] ยท `Astragalus_(plant)` ยท `Atomic_number` ยท `Atomic_radius` ยท `Bacteria` ยท [[Barium]] ยท `Benthic_zone` ยท `Benzeneselenol` ยท [[Berkelium]] ยท [[Beryllium]] ยท `Bioaccumulation` ยท `Bioavailability` ยท [[Bismuth]] ยท `Bismuth_selenide` ยท `Block_(periodic_table)` ยท `Bluefin_tuna` ยท [[Bohrium]] ยท [[Boiling_point]] ยท [[Boron]] ยท `Boron_group` ยท `Brass` ยท `Brazil_nut` ยท `Brinell_hardness_test` ยท `Bromide` ยท [[Bromine]] ยท `Bulk_modulus` ยท `CAS_Registry_Number` ยท [[Cadmium]] ยท `Cadmium_selenide` ยท [[Caesium]] ยท [[Calcium]] ยท `Calcium_selenide` ยท [[Californium]] ยท `Cancer` ยท [[Carbon]] ยท `Carbon_diselenide` ยท `Carbon_disulfide` ยท `Carbon_group` ยท `Carbon_tetrachloride` ยท `Carbonyl_selenide` ยท `Cataract` ยท `Celecoxib` ยท `Cell_(biology)` ยท `Cell_signaling` ยท [[Cerium]] ยท `Chalcogen` ยท [[Chemical_element]] ยท `Chloride` ยท [[Chlorine]] ยท [[Chromium]] ยท `Chromium(II)_selenide` ยท `Cirrhosis` ยท `Clinical_trial` ยท [[Cobalt]] ยท `Cobalt(II)_selenide` ยท `Cofactor_(biochemistry)` ยท `Commission_on_Isotopic_Abundances_and_Atomic_Weights` ยท [[Copernicium]] ยท [[Copper]] ยท `Copper_oxide` ยท `Covalent_radius` ยท `Critical_point_(thermodynamics)` ยท [[Crystal_structure]] ยท `Curcumin` ยท [[Curium]] ยท `Cyanide` ยท `Cyclooxygenase` ยท `Dalton_Transactions` ยท [[Darmstadtium]] ยท [[Decay_product]] ยท [[Density]] ยท `Dietary_Reference_Intake` ยท `Dihomo-ฮณ-linolenic_acid` ยท `Dimethyl_selenide` ยท `Direct_current` ยท `Disulfide` ยท `Disulfur_dichloride` ยท [[Dubnium]] ยท `Duke_Energy` ยท [[Dysprosium]] ยท `Earth's_crust` ยท [[Einsteinium]] ยท `Electrolytic_cell` ยท `Electron_configuration` ยท `Electronegativity` ยท [[Electronics]] ยท `Electrowinning` ยท `Enthalpy_of_fusion` ยท `Enthalpy_of_vaporization` ยท `Enzyme` ยท `Enzyme_inhibitor` ยท `Epidemiology` ยท [[Erbium]] ยท `Etiology` ยท [[Europium]] ยท `Falun_Mine` ยท [[Fermium]] ยท `Fireworks` ยท `Flat-panel_detector` ยท [[Flerovium]] ยท `Flufenamic_acid` ยท `Fluorescence` ยท [[Fluorine]] ยท `Food_and_Drug_Administration` ยท `Forage` ยท [[Francium]] ยท `GHS_hazard_pictograms` ยท `GHS_hazard_statements` ยท `GHS_precautionary_statements` ยท [[Gadolinium]] ยท [[Gallium]] ยท `Gallium(II)_selenide` ยท `Gallium(III)_selenide` ยท `Gallium_nitride` ยท `Genetic_code` ยท [[Germanium]] ยท `Germanium_monoselenide` ยท `Globally_Harmonized_System_of_Classification_and_Labelling_of_Chemicals` ยท `Glutathione_peroxidase` ยท [[Gold]] ยท `Grants,_New_Mexico` ยท `Greek_language` ยท `Group_(periodic_table)` ยท `Group_10_element` ยท `Group_11_element` ยท `Group_12_element` ยท `Group_3_element` ยท `Group_4_element` ยท `Group_5_element` ยท `Group_6_element` ยท `Group_7_element` ยท `Group_8_element` ยท `Group_9_element` ยท `Gypsum` ยท [[Hafnium]] ยท [[Half-life]] ยท `Halogen` ยท `Hashimoto's_thyroiditis` ยท [[Hassium]] ยท [[Helium]] ยท `Hemoglobin` ยท `Hexagon` ยท [[Holmium]] ยท [[Hydrogen]] ยท `Hydrogen_peroxide` ยท `Hydrogen_selenide` ยท `Hydrogen_sulfide` ยท `Hydroperoxide` ยท `IBM` ยท `Ibuprofen` ยท [[Indium]] ยท `Indium(III)_selenide` ยท `Insulator_(electricity)` ยท `Iodide` ยท [[Iodine]] ยท `Iodine-131` ยท [[Ionization_energy]] ยท [[Iridium]] ยท [[Iron]] ยท `Iron(II)_selenide` ยท `Isotope` ยท `Isotopes_of_arsenic` ยท `Isotopes_of_bromine` ยท `Isotopes_of_selenium` ยท `Johan_Gottlieb_Gahn` ยท `Jรถns_Jacob_Berzelius` ยท `Kelvin` ยท [[Krypton]] ยท [[Lanthanum]] ยท `Laser-heated_pedestal_growth` ยท `Lattice_constant` ยท [[Lawrencium]] ยท [[Lead]] ยท `Lead_chamber_process` ยท `Lead_selenide` ยท `Levothyroxine` ยท `Ligand_(biochemistry)` ยท `Light_meter` ยท `Linoleic_acid` ยท `Liothyronine` ยท `List_of_chemical_element_name_etymologies` ยท `List_of_data_references_for_chemical_elements` ยท [[Lithium]] ยท [[Livermorium]] ยท `Locoweed` ยท [[Lutetium]] ยท [[Magnesium]] ยท `Magnesium_selenide` ยท `Magnetic_susceptibility` ยท `Magnetism` ยท `Mammal` ยท [[Manganese]] ยท `Manganese(II)_selenide` ยท `Manganese_diselenide` ยท `Mary_Elvira_Weeks` ยท `Mefenamic_acid` ยท [[Meitnerium]] ยท `Melting_point` ยท `Membrane_transport_protein` ยท [[Mendelevium]] ยท [[Mercury_(element)]] ยท `Mercury_selenide` ยท `Metal_bis(trimethylsilyl)amides` ยท `Metalloid` ยท `Methylmercury` ยท `Microgram` ยท `Micronutrient` ยท `Microorganism` ยท `Moiety_(chemistry)` ยท `Molar_heat_capacity` ยท [[Molybdenum]] ยท `Molybdenum_diselenide` ยท [[Moon]] ยท [[Moscovium]] ยท `Multi-junction_solar_cell` ยท `Multivitamin` ยท `NFPA_704` ยท `National_Institute_for_Occupational_Safety_and_Health` ยท `National_Institutes_of_Health` ยท `Natural_abundance` ยท [[Neodymium]] ยท [[Neon]] ยท [[Neptunium]] ยท `Neutron_emission` ยท [[Nickel]] ยท `Nickel_selenide` ยท `Niflumic_acid` ยท [[Nihonium]] ยท [[Niobium]] ยท `Niobium_diselenide` ยท `Niobium_triselenide` ยท `Nitric_acid` ยท [[Nitrogen]] ยท [[Nobelium]] ยท [[Noble_gas]] ยท `Nonmetal` ยท `Norman_Greenwood` ยท `Nuclear_fission` ยท `Occupational_Safety_and_Health_Administration` ยท [[Oganesson]] ยท `Open-circuit_voltage` ยท `Ore` ยท `Organoselenium_chemistry` ยท [[Osmium]] ยท `Oxidation_state` ยท `Oxide` ยท [[Oxygen]] ยท [[Palladium]] ยท `Paracetamol` ยท `Pearson_symbol` ยท `Perchlorate` ยท `Period_(periodic_table)` ยท `Period_1_element` ยท `Period_2_element` ยท `Period_3_element` ยท `Period_4_element` ยท `Period_5_element` ยท `Period_6_element` ยท `Period_7_element` ยท `Periodic_table` ยท `Permissible_exposure_limit` ยท `Pertechnetate` ยท `Phase_(matter)` ยท [[Phosphorus]] ยท `Phosphorus_selenide` ยท `Photoconductivity` ยท `Photographic_print_toning` ยท `Photophone` ยท `Photosensitivity` ยท `Photovoltaics` ยท `Phytoplankton` ยท `Picometre` ยท `Pigment` ยท [[Platinum]] ยท [[Plutonium]] ยท `Plutonium_selenide` ยท `Pnictogen` ยท `Poisson's_ratio` ยท [[Polonium]] ยท `Polymer` ยท `Popular_Science` ยท [[Potassium]] ยท `Potassium_perchlorate` ยท `Potassium_selenate` ยท [[Praseodymium]] ยท `Primordial_nuclide` ยท [[Promethium]] ยท `Propranolol` ยท `Prostacyclin_synthase` ยท `Prostaglandin_D2_synthase` ยท `Prostaglandin_E_synthase` ยท `Prostaglandin_G2` ยท `Prostanoid` ยท [[Protactinium]] ยท `Pulmonary_edema` ยท `Pyrite` ยท `Quantum_dot` ยท [[Radioactive_decay]] ยท [[Radium]] ยท [[Radon]] ยท `Receptor_(biochemistry)` ยท `Receptor_modulator` ยท `Recommended_exposure_limit` ยท `Redox` ยท `Refining_(metallurgy)` ยท `Resveratrol` ยท `Retinoid` ยท [[Rhenium]] ยท `Rhenium_diselenide` ยท [[Rhodium]] ยท [[Roentgenium]] ยท `Rofecoxib` ยท `Room_temperature` ยท [[Rubidium]] ยท `Ruminant` ยท [[Ruthenium]] ยท [[Rutherfordium]] ยท `Safe_Drinking_Water_Act` ยท `Salt_(chemistry)` ยท [[Samarium]] ยท [[Scandium]] ยท [[Seaborgium]] ยท `Selenate` ยท `Selene` ยท `Selenic_acid` ยท `Selenide` ยท `Selenite_(ion)` ยท `Selenium-79` ยท `Selenium_(software)` ยท `Selenium_deficiency` ยท `Selenium_dibromide` ยท `Selenium_dichloride` ยท `Selenium_dioxide` ยท `Selenium_disulfide` ยท `Selenium_hexafluoride` ยท `Selenium_in_biology` ยท `Selenium_monochloride` ยท `Selenium_rectifier` ยท `Selenium_tetrabromide` ยท `Selenium_tetrachloride` ยท `Selenium_tetrafluoride` ยท `Selenium_trioxide` ยท `Selenocysteine` ยท `Selenol` ยท `Selenomethionine` ยท `Selenoprotein` ยท `Selenous_acid` ยท `Selenoxide_elimination` ยท `Selenoyl_fluoride` ยท `Semiconductor` ยท `Shale` ยท `Shear_modulus` ยท [[Silicon]] ยท [[Silver]] ยท `Silver(I)_selenide` ยท [[Sodium]] ยท `Sodium_carbonate` ยท `Sodium_salicylate` ยท `Sodium_selenide` ยท `Solar_cell` ยท `Solid` ยท `Space_group` ยท `Specific_heat_capacity` ยท `Spectral_line` ยท `Spectroscopy` ยท `Speed_of_sound` ยท `Standard_atomic_weight` ยท `Standard_temperature_and_pressure` ยท [[Strontium]] ยท `Sulfide` ยท `Sulfoxide` ยท [[Sulfur]] ยท `Sulfur_dioxide` ยท `Sulfur_hexafluoride` ยท `Sulfur_trioxide` ยท `Sulfur_vulcanization` ยท `Sulfuric_acid` ยท `Sulfuryl_chloride` ยท `Surge_protector` ยท `Synthetic_radioisotope` ยท [[Tantalum]] ยท [[Technetium]] ยท [[Tellurium]] ยท `Temperature` ยท [[Tennessine]] ยท [[Terbium]] ยท `Tetraselenium_tetranitride` ยท `Tetrasulfur_tetranitride` ยท [[Thallium]] ยท `Thiocyanate` ยท `Thiol` ยท `Thioredoxin_reductase` ยท `Thiourea` ยท [[Thorium]] ยท [[Thulium]] ยท `Thyroid` ยท `Thyroid_hormones` ยท `Thyroxine` ยท `Timeline_of_chemical_element_discoveries` ยท [[Tin]] ยท `Tin_selenide` ยท [[Titanium]] ยท `Titanium_diselenide` ยท `Tolfenamic_acid` ยท `Toxicity` ยท `Trace_radioisotope` ยท `Triiodothyronine` ยท [[Tungsten]] ยท `Tungsten_diselenide` ยท `Tyrosine` ยท [[Uranium]] ยท `Uranium_diselenide` ยท `Van_der_Waals_radius` ยท [[Vanadium]] ยท `Vapor_pressure` ยท `Vitamin_E` ยท `Water_bird` ยท [[Wayback_Machine]] ยท `Willoughby_Smith` ยท `X-ray` ยท `X-ray_crystallography` ยท [[Xenon]] ยท `Young's_modulus` ยท [[Ytterbium]] ยท [[Yttrium]] ยท [[Zinc]] ยท `Zinc_selenide` ยท [[Zirconium]] ยท `Zooplankton`
> **Official MAIN - Chemical element, Z = 34.** Part of the Elements Canon (one canonical page per element). Infobox grounded in [Wikipedia: List of chemical elements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chemical_elements), fetched 2026-07-08. Full article: [Wikipedia: Selenium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium).
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## Key facts (infobox)
| | |
|---|---|
| Symbol - Z | Se - 34 |
| Group - Period - Block | 16 - 4 - p-block |
| Atomic weight (Da) | 78.971 |
| Density (g/cm3) | 4.81 |
| Melting - Boiling (K) | 453 - 958 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.55 |
| Crustal abundance (mg/kg) | 0.05 |
| Origin | primordial |
| Phase (STP) | solid |
| Name origin | Greek selene, 'moon' |
*Bracketed weights are the mass number of the most stable isotope; values in parentheses are predictions (per the source table).*
## Story
Selenium was discovered in 1817 by Swedish chemist Jรถns Jacob Berzelius in the residues of copper ore processing from a mining operation in Falun, Sweden. Berzelius named it from the Greek word "selene," meaning moon, because its properties paralleled those of tellurium (which he had named after the Earth), creating an Earth-Moon naming pair. For most of the 19th century, selenium remained a laboratory rarity, though its photovoltaic properties (converting light to electricity) were observed in the 1870s [model-prior - verify]. Industrial applications emerged slowly, primarily in metallurgy and alloy production, with specialized uses growing in the 20th century.
Selenium is a gray, metalloid element with remarkable photovoltaic and photoconductive propertiesโit conducts electricity when exposed to light [model-prior - verify]. It occurs in nature primarily as selenides and selenates in copper and lead ores, though it is rarely concentrated enough to mine independently [model-prior - verify]. Selenium is an essential micronutrient for many organisms, functioning as a cofactor in antioxidant enzymes [model-prior - verify]. Industrial uses include photocells and image sensors, rectifiers, glass production, metallurgical alloys, and increasingly, thin-film photovoltaic solar cells [model-prior - verify].
In the corpus, selenium bridges light, electricity, and biological necessity. Its photovoltaic properties make it foundational to solar energy harvesting, while its biological essentiality connects it to the living systems that depend on the Technate's energy infrastructure. Its pairing with tellurium in historical naming reflects the periodic table's geometric structure.
## Corpus connections
- R.E.A.C.T.I.O.N. - the Chemistry hub
- Centers of Excellence Portal
- [[Technetium|Technetium - the element made before found]] - the canon's patron - and Technitium, the School
- Technate Expansion schema - selenium's role in photovoltaics and solar energy harvesting
## Vocational-Technical Semiotics
The element speaks the canon's shared signs: the periodic table cell (Se, group 16, period 4), isotope notation, and hazard pictograms ghs where handling demands it.
## Sources
Infobox: [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chemical_elements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chemical_elements) (fetched 2026-07-08); etymology per the same table's notes. Story sources to be added at enrichment.
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## From the Real GENERATIVE library
> Selenium is a chemical element; it has the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It has various physical appearances, including a brick-red powder, a vitreous black solid, and a grey metallic-looking form. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium))
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## Navigation
- Canon: Elements Canon index - neighbors by Z: [[Arsenic|Arsenic (33)]] - [[Bromine|Bromine (35)]]
- R.E.A.C.T.I.O.N. - Centers of Excellence
## Wikipedia : Wikitube
**Strict pair:** [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selenium) : [Wikitube](https://en.wikitube.io/wiki/Selenium)
## Previous hub tags
Tree parents: [[Helium]] ยท [[Hydrogen]] ยท [[Oxygen]].
Legacy hubs: none.
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*Sources: 1 legacy note. Minted wave 1, 2026-07-30 (v1.6 order).*