Why is Helium important?

Why is Helium important?

Considered to be one of the most abundant gases found in the atmosphere, helium is an element that is well represented in the field of chemistry as ‘He’. Found to spearhead the group of noble gases arranged in the periodic table of elements, helium is an odorless, colorless and nontoxic gas that possesses the lowest boiling and melting points among all the other natural elements discovered and studied. The element Helium was first discovered in the Sun by a French astronomer named Jules Jansenn, along with Norman Lockyer in 1868. Later, helium was abundantly found in natural gas fields in some parts of the United States of America, which is now the largest producing country of helium in the world. Although not known to cause deleterious effects to human and other living things in neutral amounts, helium is found to cause asphyxia when adequate amounts of helium is inhaled, making it possible for oxygen to be replaced in the body.
Although helium may precipitate undesired effects if not well regulated, studies have shown that helium is one important element that exists. Helium is important primarily because this element enables the sun and the stars to shine. Without such element, no sun or star can shine during the day and night respectively. Another importance of helium is that it is the major element used in cryogenic applications highly associated with medical processes and procedures. It is also greatly used in pressurizing and purging systems as well as in welding and in maintaining controlled atmospheres. In addition to that, helium is also utilized in operating airships, rocketry, balloons, industrial leak detection and other commercial and recreational purposes.
Today, helium is widely produced and distributed among industrial and manufacturing companies that require the use of helium in its production.