54Xe Xenon
Year Discovered
1898
Discovered By
Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers of England
Biological Rating
Not necessary for life.
Description
Named from the Greek word meaning “stranger”, xenon is a heavy, colorless, odorless gas. Xenon, like other noble gases, is unreactive towards most other substances. It does react naturally with fluorine and can be made to react with other compounds. It is used in strobe lights, lasers and has various applications in nuclear energy research, especially radiation detection equipment. Xenon was the fuel used in the ion engine of NASA’S Deep Space One probe.
Biological Benefits
Xenon has no known biological use.
Role in Life Processes
No known benefits to life processes in plants and animals.
Sources
There are no xenon-bearing minerals. It is obtained from liquefying air.
