Selenium:- An element that is beneficial to both human and animal health is selenium

(Se). However, depending on the chemical form of selenium, the length of

supplementation, and the state of the individual's health, both a deficiency and an
excess of this element may prove harmful to the body. Due to the low concentration of
selenium in soils and food products, a number of data point to an inadequate coverage
of the need for the mineral in humans and animals. A healthy proportion of organically
active minerals in animal and human feed can help maintain equilibrium in the body's
physiological processes. The body needs selenium, a trace mineral, for many different
functions. Most notably, selenium needed is to keep immune, endocrine, metabolic, and
cellular homeostasis intact. The chemical element selenium has the atomic number 34
and the symbol Se. It is a nonmetal (less This component has been showing great
promise recently as a treatment option for a number of illnesses. As a result, there has
been an increase in Se-based research recently. The goal of this review is to give
current knowledge on selenium (Se) and its various forms, as well as its health effects.
(Kieliszek, & Bano, 2022). And Although selenium (Se) is a micronutrient that is
necessary for both humans and animals, excessive consumption of it can be harmful.
The majority of dietary selenium comes from plants, however it is still debatable
whether selenium is necessary for plants. On the other hand, plants are protected by Se
in small amounts against a range of abiotic stresses, including desiccation, cold,
drought, and metal stress. Both humans and animals need elenium (Se), a micronutrient
that can be toxic if consumed in excess. Though the essentiality of selenium for plants
is still up for debate, plants are the primary source of selenium in diet. Low
concentrations of selenium, on the other hand, shield plants against a range of abiotic
stresses, including desiccation, cold, drought, and metal stress. High doses of selenium
(Se) in plants are primarily caused by distorted protein structure and function. Since
plants can be extremely helpful in mitigating selenium deficiency and toxicity in many
parts of the world, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant
metabolism is essential to the development of successful selenium phytoremediation
and biofortification programs (Gupta, & Gupta, 2017). frequently regarded as a
metalloid) with characteristics halfway between sulfur and tellurium, two elements
higher and lower on the periodic table, and it shares characteristics with arsenic
( Greenwood, & Earnshaw, 2012). In the crust of the Earth, it is rarely found in its
elemental form or as pure ore compounds. In 1817, Jöns Jacob Berzelius discovered
selenium (from the Ancient Greek (selḗnē)'moon'). He noted that the new element
shared similarities with the previously discovered tellurium (named for the Earth). In
metal sulfide ores, selenium can be found partially substituting sulfur. Selenium is
commercially produced as a byproduct of these ores' refining, usually during
production. Selenate or pure selenide-containing minerals are known to exist, but they
are uncommon. These days, glassmaking and pigments are the main commercial
applications for selenium. Photocells employ the semiconductor selenium. Silicon
semiconductor devices have largely replaced electronics applications, which were once
significant. A single kind of fluorescent quantum dot and a few varieties of DC power
surge protectors still contain selenium. While many animals, including humans, require
trace amounts of selenium for proper cellular function, even small amounts of
elemental selenium or selenium salts can be toxic and result in selenosis ( Fernández,
et.al., 2022). In addition to being an ingredient in many multivitamins and other dietary
supplements, infant formula also contains selenium. It is a part of three deiodinase
enzymes and the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin
reductase, which together reduce certain oxidized molecules in animals and some
plants. Plant species vary in their requirements for selenium; some seem to need
relatively large amounts, while others don't seem to need any at all (Ruyle,. 2009.).

a. Selenium Physical Properties :-

 Selenium
physical
Phase STPproperties.
Solid.
Melting point.
494 K ​(221 °C, ​430 °F)
Boiling point
958 K ​(685 °C, ​1265 °F)
Density
gray: 4.81 g/cm3
alpha: 4.39 g/cm3

vitreous: 4.28 g/cm3

Liquid Form 3.99 g/cm3 (at m.p.)

Fig. structure of the hexagonal (gray) Selenium.

When prepared in chemical reactions, selenium is usually an amorphous, brick-red

powder; when melted quickly, it forms the black, vitreous form, which is usually
sold commercially as beads. Selenium forms several allotropes that interconvert
with temperature changes, depending somewhat on the rate of temperature change
(james. E. 2008)4. Black selenium has a complex and asymmetrical structure made
up of polymeric rings that can contain up to 1000 atoms each. Brittle and lustrous,
black selenium dissolves slightly in CS2. It softens at 50 °C and transforms into
gray selenium at 180 °C when heated; the presence of amines and halogens lowers
the transformation temperature (Greenwood, & Earnshaw, 2012.). By altering the
solvent's (typically CS2) evaporation rate, black selenium solutions can yield the
red α, β, and γ forms. All of them possess nearly identical puckered
cyclooctaselenium (Se8) rings with distinct geometric arrangements, similar to
sulfur, and have a relatively low, monoclinic crystal symmetry (space group 14).
( Foss, & Janickis, 1980.). Since there is no symmetry operation that maps a ring's
 eight atoms onto another, half of the rings in the γ-monoclinic form are in one
configuration (and its mirror image) and the other half in a different configuration (
Eckert, &., Divilov, et.al.). In the α form, the packing is the densest. The average
Se–Se distance and Se–Se–Se angle in the Se8 rings are 233.5 pm and 105.7°,
respectively, depending on the location of the pair of atoms within the ring. Se6 or
Se7 rings may be present in other selenium allotropes.( Greenwood, & Earnshaw,
2012.).

b. Chemical properties :- Two oxides are formed by selenium: selenium trioxide

(SeO3) and selenium dioxide (SeO2). Elemental selenium is burned to produce
selenium dioxide (James.2008). In the gas phase, it is a polymeric solid that forms
monomeric SeO2 molecules. When dissolved in water, it yields H2SeO 3, or
selenous acid. Nitric acid can be used to oxidize elemental selenium in order to
directly produce selenium acid.
 Atomic properties.
Electronegativity :-
Pauling scale: 2.55
Ionzation energy :-
1st: 941.0 kJ/mol
2
nd: 2045 kJ/mol
3
rd: 2973.7 kJ/mol
Atomic Radius:-
Empirical 120 pm
Covalent radius :-
120±4 pm
Van der waals radius :-
190 pm

Fig. Structure of the

polymeSeO2The

(pyramidal) selenium atoms are

yellow.