102No Nobelium

Year Discovered

1958

Discovered By

Albert Ghiorso, Torbjorn Sikkeland, J Walton and Glenn Seaborg of the USA

Biological Rating

Not necessary for life.

Description

Named after chemist and Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel, nobelium is a highly radioactive metal. It has never been found naturally and only a few thousand atoms have been produced in laboratories. Its chemistry and appearance are not known with any certainty but should be similar to the other actinides. Nobelium is too rare to have any commercial or industrial application. The most stable isotope of nobelium has a half-life of 58 minutes.

Biological Benefits

Nobelium has no biological use.

Role in Life Processes

No known benefits for life processes in plants and animals.

Sources

Nobelium is obtained by bombarding californium or curium with carbon.