Are You a Selenophile?

Who says you can’t learn things on social media? The other day, I ran across the term, selenophile. According to the rules of word origins, a selenophile should be someone who loves selenium. Selenium is a nonmetallic chemical element with properties similar to sulfur and arsenic, symbol Se and atomic number 34. Now, who would have a heart for such a substance? Obviously, I had to find out. Let me share what I learned so you can determine if you just might be a selenophile.

Selenophile by Nature

Animal cells require trace amounts of selenium to function, although selenium salts are toxic. The requirements for selenium in plants vary, with some needing no selenium, while others must have large amounts. When I searched the term selenophile, what came up was any plant that absorbs selenium. When they grow in soils containing selenium, these plants take in more selenium than the soil concentration provide by passive intake. Consequently, they are intentionally taking in more selenium. Selenophilic or selenium-loving plants.

However, the article I was reading on social media mentioned the moon. Selenophile referred to someone who is very fond of the moon. What does the moon have to do with the chemical selenium or plants that preferentially absorb it? I investigated further, of course. 

Over the Moon for Selenium!

The chemical name selenium is derived from the Greek word selene which means moon. Aha, there’s the connection! Selenium was named after the goddess of the moon by Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius in 1817. But why? The moon isn’t made out of selenium. Selenium is rare on earth, even less of it is on the moon. On earth, selenium is often found together with tellurium-bearing minerals. The chemical tellurium was already known when selenium was first described and had been named for Tellus, the Roman goddess of the Earth. Due to tellurium and selenium often being together, like the earth and the moon, Berzelius chose the name selenium, for the moon goddess.

My newest new word is selenophile, someone who loves the moon. A word with a couple of meanings and an interesting history. I love a good story!

If you love a good story, with a little science thrown in let me suggest my latest release, Guam: Return of the Songs. It tells  the story of the invasion of the brown treesnake and the return of Guam’s native birds.

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