The existence of germanium was also predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869 when he developed the periodic table of elements. The atomic number of the element is 32.
In 1885, Clemens Winkler, a German chemist, discovered an element that was referred to as “eka-silicon” in an ore known as argyrodite. This ore contained silver, sulphur, iron oxide, and zinc along with about 7 per cent of this unknown metal.
The word “germanium” is derived from the Latin name for Germany, which is the home country of Winkler, who discovered it.
It was first used commercially during World War II in high-resolution radar receivers. The first germanium transistor was invented after this application. Though there are claims that germanium supplements have health benefits, research has not yet found evidence for those claims.
On the other hand, using germanium supplements or medications might lead to side effects such as kidney damage, anaemia, muscle weakness, lack of body coordination, and increased liver enzymes.
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