Noun
A nonmetallic element of the sulphur group, and analogous to sulphur in its compounds. It is found in small quantities with sulphur and some sulphur ores, and obtained in the free state as a dark reddish powder or crystalline mass, or as a dark metallic-looking substance. It exhibits under the action of light a remarkable variation in electric conductivity, and is used in certain electric apparatus. Symbol Se. Atomic weight 78.9.
Source: Webster's dictionaryHydrogen selenide, I decided, was perhaps the worst smell in the world. But hydrogen telluride came close, was also a smell from hell. An up-to-date hell, I decided, would have not just rivers of fiery brimstone, but lakes of boiling selenium and tellurium, too. Oliver Sacks
A diet rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene), is the best defence against the free radical damage of oxidation, which in turn causes wrinkles and pigmentation. Source: Internet
Alexander Graham Bell used the light-sensitive property of selenium to transmit sound over a beam of light in 1880. Source: Internet
A high intake of antioxidants, zinc, and selenium during pregnancy may help prevent allergies. Source: Internet
A working solar cell, of low efficiency, was constructed by Charles Fritts in 1883 using a metal plate coated with selenium and a thin layer of gold; the device became commercially useful in photographic light meters in the 1930s. Source: Internet
Both organic and inorganic forms of selenium are largely converted to monosaccharide conjugates (selenosugars) in the body prior elimination in the urine. Source: Internet