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selenium

vr.tr.selenium · thing-q876

Let an agent identify selenium and its properties, relay its nutritional and toxicological roles from authoritative sources, explain production and uses, and distinguish it from tellurium and sulfur.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.MAT
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Identify What selenium is.

Properties

Properties and allotropes.

Properties

Properties.

  1. What are the properties and allotropes of selenium? definition
  2. Is the question about selenium or a neighbouring chalcogen? boundary

Isotopes

Isotopes.

Isotopes

Isotopes.

  1. Which isotopes exist, and which are stable or of interest? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific isotope? action
Health Nutrition and toxicity.

Nutrition

Nutrition.

Nutrition

Nutrition.

  1. What role does selenium play in the body, and what do dietary references say? provenance
  2. Is the user asking about personal supplementation, which needs a professional? boundary

Toxicity

Toxicity.

Toxicity

Toxicity.

  1. What are the effects of deficiency and excess, and what limits apply? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance
Industry Production and uses.

Production

Production.

Production

Production.

  1. How is selenium recovered, and who produces it, with sources? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance

Uses

Uses.

Uses

Uses.

  1. How is selenium used in glass, pigments, electronics and agriculture? provenance
  2. Which entry fits a specific use? action
Context Environment and history.

Environment

Environmental selenium.

Environment

Environment.

  1. How does selenium move through soils and water, and where is contamination a problem? provenance
  2. Which entry fits environmental toxicology? action

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How was selenium discovered by Berzelius in 1817, and how was its role in nutrition found? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the history of chemistry? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.MAT
Other names and narrower kinds
selenium-81, selenium-65, selenium-66, selenium-67, selenium-68, selenium-69, selenium-70, selenium-71, selenium-72, selenium-73, selenium-83, selenium-84

What it is Filled

A chemical element with symbol Se and atomic number 34, a nonmetal in the oxygen group with grey metallic-looking and red allotropes, photoconductive and semiconducting; selenium is an essential trace nutrient in selenoproteins, toxic in excess, recovered mainly from copper refining, and used in glass, pigments, electronics, photocopiers historically, and dietary supplements, with six natural isotopes.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent identify selenium and its properties, relay its nutritional and toxicological roles from authoritative sources, explain production and uses, and distinguish it from tellurium and sulfur.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Essential and toxic
  • Photoconductive
  • Allotropes
  • Copper refining by-product

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Recommend selenium supplement doses for a specific person.
  • Present selenium as a cure or cancer preventive beyond evidence.
  • Advise disposing of selenium compounds into soil or water.
  • Dismiss selenium contamination from mining or irrigation as harmless.

Only with a human decision

  • Supplementation decisions for people with health conditions.

May

  • Explain selenium's properties, uses in electronics and glass, and its role as a trace nutrient.
  • Report dietary reference values from health authorities with sources.
  • Advise people to discuss supplements with a clinician.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Selenium is essential in small amounts and toxic in excess; the margin is narrow.
  • Contamination harms wildlife and communities downstream of mines and farms.

Who is affected

  • People taking supplements
  • Wildlife near contaminated water
  • Communities near mines

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody owns the element; producers and holders answer for what they hold.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q19596 - registry parent class

related

  • metalloid - in registry terms
  • chalcogen - group 16
  • selenoprotein - such as glutathione peroxidase
  • arsenic - element 33

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.selenium
  • Wikidata: Q876 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q876)
  • symbol: Se
  • CAS: 7782-49-2

Direct properties required Filled

  • atomic number: 34 Z
  • standard atomic weight: 78.971 u
  • melting point: 221 degrees C - grey form
  • adult recommended intake: about 55 micrograms per day - varies by authority

Recognition required Filled

  • Selenium is element 34 with symbol Se.
  • Selenium is a nonmetal in group 16.
  • Sulfur and tellurium are the neighbouring chalcogens.
  • A grey metallic solid in its stable form, or red powder and glass in other allotropes.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • relay properties and isotopes
  • explain nutrition and toxicity
  • explain production and uses
  • distinguish from related elements

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Deficiency diseases and toxicity from excess
  • Environmental contamination from mining and agriculture
  • Agents giving personal supplementation advice

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • Dietary reference intakes and upper limits
  • Supplement and food fortification regulations
  • Occupational exposure limits
  • Environmental rules for selenium in water

Context of use required Filled

  • Glass, electronics, pigments, nutrition and agriculture.
  • selenium allotropes: grey, red and black
  • selenium compounds such as selenides and selenites
  • isotopes from selenium-65 to selenium-95, with six natural and Se-79 long-lived
  • selenium in nutrition and selenoproteins

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q876: selenium - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Selenium - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should selenium deficiency and toxicity be separate entries?
  • How should dietary standards be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming isotopes; should they be split off?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q876/spec.json