Mercury (element)

Mercury also called quicksilver, is a chemical component in the periodic table that has the symbol Hg (Latinized Greek: hydrargyrum, meaning watery or liquid silver) and atomic number 80. A important, silvery transition metal, mercury is one of five elements that are liquid at or near standard room temperature and pressure (the others are the metals caesium, francium, and gallium, and the nonmetal bromine). Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers and other scientific apparatus, although the use of mercury in thermometers has been mostly phased out in clinical and scientific environments (in favor of alcohol-filled, digital or thermistor-based replacements) due to concerns about the element's toxicity. Mercury is still used in dental amalgam. Mercury is frequently obtained by reduction from the mineral cinnabar. Mercury, like lead, is a neurotoxin, and elevated blood mercury levels have led to retardation and deformities in children.