The selenium story: Some reflections on the “Moon-Metal”

Extract Selbnium has been variously described, in complimentary and derogatory terms, by the many people that have associated themselves with it, and perhaps the adjective that fits best is “controversial”. More than most elements, certainly, and maybe even more than any other, selenium has stimulated argument, with the result that knowledge of its metabolic function has not come easily, but has been debated, often with great vigour, virtually every step of the way.