Cadmium is an extremely toxic, silvery-blue transition metal with a melting point of 321 degrees Celsius. Like Zinc and Mercury, it also has a low melting point compared to the other transition metals. It displays many similarities to the other elements in its group, being soft, malleable, and has some resistance to corrosion. It was discovered as an impurity in zinc oxide produced from ore by Freidrich Stromeyer. 

Cadmium has some uses despite its toxicity. It used to be used in paints and cathode ray tubes in old tvs. Today, it is used in Cadmium-Nickel batteries, machinery, and nuclear reactors. There has been an ongoing effort to limit the use of Cadmium due to its extreme toxicity.