Substances

A listing of various substances known throughout the Star Trek universe. Not to be interpreted as complete.

Acetin
Naturally occurring. Causes duonetic fields, resulting in equipment failures.

Acetylcholine
Naturally occurring. In real life, a neurotransmitter produced by the brain.

Acid Dichloride
Artificially generated by crew. Gaseous chemical. Toxic to humans, essential to advanced humans. In real life, acid dichloride is impossible as chlorine and hydrogen combine in a 1:1 ratio, and chemicals tend to separate into the lowest possible number of atoms. Acid "di"chloride would be H2Cl2, and this would break down into HCl: hydrochloric acid or (when a gas) hydrogen chloride.

Actinides
Naturally occurring. Radioactive compounds generally found in uranium ore. Actinides are known to interfere with Federation sensors.

Antilepton Interference
Artificially generated by aliens. Prevents communications.

Antimatter
Artificially generated by crew; naturally occurring in real life. Matter whose electrical charge properties are the opposite of "normal matter." It is not well understood why the universe is made overwhelmingly of matter yet most reactions which produce particles produce matter and anti-matter equally. The imbalance could have started as a minor percentage in the early moments of the big bang, with resulting annihilation keeping the excess only (the rest is the photon background).

Antineutrino
Naturally occurring. In real life, a byproduct of beta decay.

Antineutron
A real particle; the antimatter version of a neutron.

Antiproton
Naturally occurring. Also generated by ships; can penetrate Romulan cloaking devices. In real life, the antimatter version of a proton.

Antitime
Naturally occurring. Analogous to "antimatter" but for time, not matter.

Anyon
Artificially generated by crew. Caused by the interaction between phased and normal matter. In real life, an anyon isn't a real particle, it's a theoretical construct formed by confining a normal fermion (and possibly boson) to a two-dimensional region. The exchange arguments which lead to the parity operator eigenvalues being +-1 no longer apply, and these theoretical constructs can have arbitrary quantum phase changes under exchange.

Argine
Origin unknown. Function unknown.

Badlands
Naturally occurring. Stormy region of space, plays havoc with sensors and warp drives.

Baryon
Naturally occurring. In real life, "heavy" particles like protons, as opposed to "light" particles (leptons) like electrons.

Berthold Radiation
Artificially generated by aliens. Unknown -- generated by aliens

Berthold Rays
Naturally occurring. Nature unknown. Harmful or fatal to humans.

Bicaridine
Artificially generated by crew. A painkiller.

Bilitrium
Naturally occurring. A rare crystalline element which can be an incredible source of energy if hooked up to an anti-matter converter.

Biogenic Field
Naturally occurring. Lethal to humans.

Bitrium
Naturally occurring. Nature unknown.

Boridium
Artificially generated by crew. Used as a power generator or converter in compact machines and devices.

Brill Cheese
Origin unknown. Contaminated cheese with a virus.

Calendenium
Naturally occurring. chemical, possibly an element

Carbon Neutronium
Artificially generated by aliens.

Carbrodine
Origin unknown. When mixed with infernite, becomes explosive.

Cast Rodinium
Naturally occurring. The hardest substance known to Federation science.

Chemicite
Origin unknown. A highly explosive compound, dangerous to transport, can be sold for a good profit on Orion.

Chroniton
Artificially generated by aliens and crew. Involved in time travel and in cloaking; exact nature unknown.

Chronometric Particle
Artificially generated by aliens. Involved in time travel.

Cobalt Dinitrate
Artificially generated by crew. A chemical compound that is considered a biogenic weapon. Cobalt dinitrate is harmless to most humanoids but is lethal to Cardassians.

Corbomite
Artificially generated by Captain Kirk. A fictional substance which supposedly reflects weapon fire back at the attacker.

Cordrizene
Artificially generated by crew. A drug.

Cormoline
Naturally occurring. Rich deposits of this compound are found on the Kazon-Ogla Homeworld, which they use for barter with the other Kazon sects.

Corodum
Artificially generated by crew. Used in thruster packs.

Cosmic String
Naturally occurring. A string of particles with gravitational forces that are the strength of a black hole.

Cryptobiolin
Artificially generated by aliens. An alien equivalent of steroids.

Cyanoacrylate
Naturally occurring. In real life, cyanoacrylate ester is a fast-bonding glue.

Cyrillium
Naturally occurring. Occurs in nebulae/gaseous anomalies in Delta and Alpha quadrants. Highly combustible.

Dark Matter
Naturally occurring. Causes phase shifts in normal matter.

De Broglie Waves
Naturally occurring in real life -- in modern physics, a representation of ordinary matter as waves rather than particles. Artificially generated by aliens; a side effect of cloaking devices.

Dechyon
Artificially generated by crew. In real life, dechyons are the class of particles that travel below the speed of light (i.e., the opposite of tachyons.)

Delta Rays
Naturally occurring. Type of radiation produced by older engines; exists in real life. Delta-rays refer to moderate energy electrons which have been kicked off a nucleus by the passage of a nearby high energy charged particle.

Dermateralean Plasticine
Artificially generated by aliens. Used in cosmetic surgery.

Deuridium
Naturally occurring. Found as deposits in asteroid fields.

Deuterium
Naturally occurring. Isotope of hydrogen, having twice the mass of ordinary hydrogen, also called heavy hydrogen

Diburinium
Origin unknown. A metallic substance.

Diburnium-osmium Alloy
Artificially generated by aliens. A substance highly resistant to energy and radiation.

Dicoromium
Naturally occurring. An element that makes up part of the molecular structure of a gaseous creature, possibly allowing the creature to exist in a state on the border between matter and energy and avoid weapons fire by moving itself through time.

Dicosilium
Origin unknown. Optic material used to build lenses and mirrors.

Dilithium
Naturally occurring. Focuses energy into highly concentrated form. Necessary for the operation of warp drives, and a vital part of a starship's power system.

Displacement Wave
Artificially generated by aliens. Moves objects at high warp speed.

Disruptor Beam
Artificially generated by aliens. Klingon equivalent of a phasers. Accompanied by a shrill, echoing sound.

Dolamide
Origin unknown. Used in power generators, reactors, and short-range transporters. If pure enough, it can be made into weapons.

Duranium
Artificially generated by crew. A hard metal alloy.

E-band radiation
Naturally occurring. Emitted by collapsing stars; can also be used as a means of communication.

Eichner Radiation
Artificially generated by aliens.

Electrophoretic Energy
Process by which proteins are identified by putting them on a gel and running an electric current through the gel, then staining the gel and measuring how far the proteins moved in comparison to a group of standard proteins that were also put on the gel (bigger proteins move slower, in general.)

Felicium
Naturally occurring. A substance produced from plants by the people of Brekka and exported to Ornara.

Fistrium
Naturally occurring. Refractory metal found in caves of Melona IV.

Fluidic Space
Naturally occurring. A parallel universe near our own composed entirely of a biological fluid.

Fortanium
Naturally occurring.

Genesis Wave
Artificially generated by crew. An energy wave that has the effect of rapidly terra forming planets and nebular matter.

Gold-pressed Latinum
Origin unknown. A non-replicable material, typically pressed into bars, like gold.

Holomatter
Artificially generated by crew. A simulation of matter using force field and holo-imaging technology within a chamber known as a "holodeck". Under certain circumstances, holomatter can take on all the recognized features of life forms; however, all holomatter disintegrates when removed from the holodeck.

Hyperon
Naturally occurring. Hyperons are a class of real particles whose name dates back to the days before quark structure was well known. Leptons (electrons, muons, tau and their associated neutrinos) are "light", Mesons are "medium", and baryons are heavy. When more massive short-lived particles heavier than the proton were produced, they were called hyperons. Some examples are the sigma lambda and cascade. After quark structure was understood, they first three names were kept, but the meaning was changed. Leptons are the same list as originally, but are understood to be fundamental particles with no quark structure. Mesons are quark-anitquark pairs. Baryons are triplets of quarks. The term hyperon is still used, but not so frequently.

Hytritium
Naturally occurring. Only known cure for tricyanate contamination of water supplies. Highly volatile.

Ilium 629
Naturally occurring. A by-product of the geological decay of dilithium.

Infernite
Origin unknown. When mixed with carbrodine, becomes explosive.

Inversion Nebula
Naturally occurring. A nebula composed of plasma strings that is apparently beautiful to look at. Nebulas of this kind do not exist in the Alpha quadrant. They are apparently relatively unstable, requiring an outside influence to stay stable.

Invidium
Origin unknown. Unknown origin. Used in medical containment fields the previous century. No longer used. Causes adverse reactions with equipment. If brought to -200 Celsius, it becomes inert.

Iogenic Particles
Artificially generated by crew. Has characteristic 'magnetic flux density'

Ion
Naturally occurring. An atom or group of atoms that carries a positive or negative electric charge.

Ionic Pulse
Artificially generated by crew. Presumably, a bunch of charged atoms.

Iridium
Naturally occurring. A heavy element of the platinum group.

Isoboromine
Naturally occurring. A neurotransmitter in Trills which maintains the link between symbiont and host. If its level gets too low, the symbiont must be removed or it will die.

Jakmanite
Naturally occurring. Like invidium, jakmanite cannot be detected by internal sensors. Exists in oxygen environment, and like invidium, can alter advanced structures like glass.

Jevonite
Naturally occurring. Valuable gemstone found on Cardassia.

Kayolane
Artificially generated by aliens. A sedative.

Kedion
Naturally occurring. Resets positronic matrices.

Kelbonite
Naturally occurring. Refractory metal found in caves of Melona IV.

Ketracel White
Artificially generated by aliens. A vital, isogenic enzyme needed for the survival of the Jem'Hadar. The enzyme can only be provided by the Founders, and currently cannot be reproduced by the Federation. The Founders engineered the Jem'Hadar's addiction to this enzyme to ensure their loyalty to the Dominion.

Kinoplasmic Radiation
Origin unknown. Lt. Barclay tells the EMH that his headaches are due to "kinoplasmic radiation oxidizing your brain cells."

Kironide
Artificially generated by aliens. Induces telekinetic powers.

Koranium
Origin unknown. Subspace element used in Klingon warp drives.

Kreeger Waves
Artificially generated by aliens. Nature unknown. Eats holes in walls and decks; destroys space station.

Lepton
Naturally occurring. - particle "activity" increased prior to the wormhole reappearing and shifting its position.

Lucrovexitrin
Origin unknown. Highly toxic; alters molecular structure when it comes in contact with glass. Exists in a Nitrogen-Oxygen atmosphere.

Magneton
Artificially generated by crew. In real life, a quanta of the magnetic dipole moment of a particle. In short, it's a measurement (like inches or liters), not a particle, though the name is used for one in Star Trek.

Meranium
Artificially generated by aliens. A metal alloy. Its melting point is 2014 degrees Fahrenheit.

Merculite
Artificially generated by aliens. An explosive material used in out-of-date rockets which are no match for Federation weaponry.

Meson
Naturally occurring. - particle "activity" increased prior to the wormhole reappearing and shifting its position.

Metaphasic Shield
Artificially generated by crew. A subspace technology which involves generating metaphasic properties - results in a low intensity, non-propulsive subspace field similar to a warp field.

Metrion
Artificially generated by aliens. High levels of exposure can infect a humanoid with nitremia, a blood disease that causes its victims' cells to undergo fission.

Muon
Naturally occurring. Short-lived subatomic particle classified as a lepton.

Nadion
Artificially generated by crew. particles as the output produced by phasers.

Nanites
Artificially generated by crew. Micro-robots that are bred for specific tasks; able in some instances to reproduce to collectively form a consciousness.

Neodilithium
Naturally occurring. A different form of dilithium.

Neurogenic Field
Naturally occurring. A resident 'field' that forms by a person's brain as part of the thought process. Each person's pattern varies depending on their current thought.

Neutrino
Artificially generated by crew. Real particle with no charge, until recently thought to have no mass.

Neutron Radiation
Naturally occurring. Neutrons are neutral particles which, along with protons, are constituents of atomic nuclei. Neutrons not contained within a nucleus have a half-life of about 15 minutes.

Neutronium
Naturally occurring. Matter composed of densely-packed neutrons, held together by gravity. The material neutron stars are made of.

Nitrium
Naturally occurring. A metal used in an important alloy commonly found in starships. The alloy is used for computers, replicators, stabilizers, ventilators, power transfer conduits, dilithium chamber walls, and life support systems.

Nucleogenic
Naturally occurring. Dust or other particles which attract water vapor, causing rain or other precipitation to form.

Nucleonic Particle
Artificially generated by crew. Refers to the nucleus of atoms.

Nucleonic Radiation
Naturally occuring/artificially generated by crew. Something found in lifeforms.

Omega
Artificially generated by aliens. In the present, an unstable, artificially generated particle that can serve as a virtually inexhaustible power source. The only drawback is that it reacts violently with subspace, making warp travel in the affected area impossible. Thus, after failed federation experiments, it is ordered that it be destroyed by any Starfleet ship that encounters it. Even at the expense of abandoning the prime directive. It is thought that they were once naturally occurring, and may have supplied the energy to initiate the Big Bang. It is also known by the Borg as "Particle 256" and is kind of worshipped by them as "perfection".

Omicron
Naturally occurring. Created by Space Nebula Creature, used in "circulatory" system.

Particle Signature
Naturally occurring. A characteristic unique to each universe.

Pergium
Naturally occurring. Used to regenerate environmental controls filters.

Phospholipid Fibers
Naturally occurring. In real life, phospholipids are fatty acids with phosphate groups attached. They are small and naturally occur only as liposomes and bilayer sheets, and as monolayer spheres called micelles. But they never form "fibers." Phospholipid bilayers are what cell membranes are mostly made of.

Photochronic
Origin unknown.

Photonic Energy
Naturally occurring. Emitted from the surface of a protostar. A fancy name for light.

Plasma
Naturally occurring. A very hot, ionized gas. The atoms in plasma have enough kinetic energy that the electrons are torn from their nuclei, ionizing the gas.

Polaric Ion
Artificially generated by aliens. Used as a power generation system.

Polaron
Artificially generated by crew. Exists in the real world. In condensed matter physics, a polaron is a type of mobile crystal defect consisting of an electron coupled to an induced lattice polarization.

Positron
Naturally occurring. Real antimatter version of an electron.

Preanimate Matter
Naturally occurring. Matter that is very, very, very, close to being classified as a form of life, but doesn't quite make the grade.

Promethean Quartz
Naturally occurring. Valuable mineral that glows with an internal light.

Protomatter
Origin unknown. An unstable form of matter used by David Marcus as a short cut in the construction of the Genesis Device.

Proton
Naturally occurring. Baryon with a virtually infinite life span. Protons occur in all atomic nuclei.

Protoplasm
Naturally occurring. Makes up the interior of cells in living matter.

Psilocynine
Naturally occurring. A neurotransmitter involved in telepathy.

Pulse Compression Wave
Artificially generated by crew. Used to increase the power of a phaser blast.

Pyroclastics
Naturally occurring. Rock formed by volcanic activity. A realize geological term.

Quadrotriticale
Artificially generated by crew. A "supervariant" of the hybrid grain known as triticale. Triticale is naturally occurring.

Quantum Filament
Naturally occurring. An elongated subatomic object, hundreds of meters long, but possessing almost no mass.

Retinox
Artificially generated by crew. Used to improve eyesight.

Riboviroxicnucleic Acid
Naturally occurring. Like DNA, except the number of riboviroxicnucleic acid structures increase as the biological organism ages. In other words, without these structures, we wouldn't be able to "grow up."

Ritalin
Naturally occurring. A mineral.

Roginium
Naturally occurring. Hardest substance known to science.

Rubindium
Origin unknown. A nontoxic crystalline substance.

Salskinum
Origin unknown. Can alter molecular structure when it comes into contact with glass and exist in a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere.

Sarium
Origin unknown. Can store large amounts of energy.

Scalosian Water
Naturally occurring. Causes metabolic acceleration, such that anyone who drinks it begins moving extremely quickly.

Selanogen
Naturally occurring. A substance, as carbon is, upon which a form of life is based.

Selgninaem
Origin unknown. Highly toxic; can alter molecular structure when it comes in contact with glass and exists in a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere.

Serotonin
Naturally occurring. A neurotransmitter. In real life, helps the human brain maintain mental equilibrium.

Soliton Wave
In real life, a wave whose energy doesn't diminish. (More complicated than that, but that's the basic idea.) In Star Trek, an artificially generated subspace effect capable of propelling vessels at warp speeds.

Sorium
Origin unknown. An explosive compound.

Sporocystain
Naturally occurring. The Caretaker and his race were sporocystain based lifeforms.

Static Warp Bubble
Artificially generated by crew. An anomaly which creates a new universe whose nature can be affected by the individual trapped inside.

Steelplast
Artificially generated by aliens. A construction material.

Styrolite
Artificially generated by crew. A non-opaque particle used in packaging. It is biologically sterile and can be used to package potentially biologically hazardous substances.

Synthehol
Artificially generated by aliens. An alcohol substitute invented by the Ferengi that permits one to enjoy the intoxicating effects of alcoholic beverages without the deleterious effects.

Tachyon
Artificially generated by crew. A FTL (or subspace) particle.

Talgonite
Artificially generated by aliens. A ceramic substance.

Tantalus Field
Artificially generated by aliens. Causes disruption of matter, like a phaser, but can be formed at a distance. In Greek mythology, Tantalus was a king who served the flesh of his son to the gods; he was punished with eternal thirst and hunger.

Tellerium
Origin unknown. Crystal used to stabilize the harmonic reactions inside the dilithium chamber of Voyager's matter/antimatter power reactor.

Temporal Wake
Artificially generated by aliens. Side effect of time travel; can cause nearby objects to shift in time along with the ship that's generating a temporal distortion. Objects in a temporal wake exist outside a linear timeline.

Terminium
Origin unknown. A metal alloy.

Terracon
Artificially generated by aliens. Nature unknown.

Tetralubisol
Origin unknown. Highly volatile lubricant used on starships.

Tetryon
Artificially generated by aliens. Subspace particle; shouldn't be found in normal space.

Thalium
Naturally occurring. Thalium compound is found in rocks. It interferes with Federation sensors.

Thoron
Naturally occurring. Radioactive isotope by-product from the decay of thorium. Thorium is also known as radon-220.

Total Conversion Ray
Artificially generated by aliens. When aimed at a distant point, produces an explosion comparable to a nuclear blast.

Transparent Aluminum
Artificially generated by crew. Just what the name implies, an invisible metal.

Trianium
Artificially generated by aliens. Used in fusion based power sources.

Triceron
Origin unknown. An explosive compound.

Tricobalt
Origin unknown. Presumably something to do with three cobalt atoms.

Tricyanate
Naturally occurring. A toxic, inorganic substance which forms pink crystals. They are difficult and expensive to synthesize. Decontamination of tricyanate in a water supply requires the highly volatile hytritium.

Trigenic Vapor
Naturally occurring. Contains high levels of proteins and amino acids. It is a vital source of nutrition for specific alien species. At high levels, can cause severe humanoid skin irritation.

Trilithium
Artificially generated by aliens. An advanced form of dilithium?

Trillium 323
Naturally occurring. A mineral substance.

Trimagnesite
Naturally occurring. A substance that reacts with trevium to produce non visible, ultra violet radiation.

Trinimbic Turbulence
Naturally occurring. An atmospheric phenomenon. Disruptive to transporter technology, Federation targeting systems and apparently too "turbulent" for a shuttle.

Triolic Wave
Artificially generated by aliens. Byproduct of little used Energy production method. Harmful to most life.

Triox
Artificially generated by crew. Concentrated oxygen compound.

Tritanium
Origin unknown. Extremely hard substance used in construction of starship hulls. 21.4 times as hard as diamond.

Tritium
Naturally occurring. A radioactive isotope of hydrogen with atoms of three times the mass of ordinary light hydrogen atoms

Tryptamine
Naturally occurring. Biological result of exposure to a temporal disturbance - indicated by elevated levels in the brain.

Ultritium
Origin unknown. Chemical explosive almost undetectable by transporter scanners.

Venderite
Naturally occurring. An extremely valuable element or mineral to the Ferengi.

Verdion
Naturally occurring. Generated in the cores or surfaces of White Dwarfs.

Veridium
Artificially generated by crew. Can be detected at great distances, except through a magnetic shield.

Verteron
Artificially generated by aliens. Somehow damaging to sub-space equipment.

Victurium Alloy
Artificially generated by crew. A very dense metal alloy.

Warp Particle
Artificially generated by crew. Emitted by warp engines.

Warp Shell
Artificially generated by crew. A field generated by the Enterprise's engines to induce warp travel.

Wormholes
Naturally occurring. A subspace bridge or tunnel between two points in "normal" time and space. Most wormholes are extremely unstable and their end points fluctuate widely across time and space. An improperly balanced warp drive system can create an artificial wormhole that can pose a serious danger to the ship and its crew.

Z Particle
Artificially generated by aliens; also a real type of particle. Can mess up sensor and/or visual records. In real life: today's understanding puts particles into two basic categories, matter and exchange particles. Exchange particles are thrown kind of like Frisbees between matter particles as the generators of the forces. Photons mediate the electromagnetic force, gluons mediate the strong force, the graviton is proposed (not observed) to mediate the gravitational force. The weak force is mediated by the W+, W-, and Z0 particles.

Zenite
Naturally occurring. A raw mineral from which a potent compound is derived by the Federation for use in stopping botanical plagues.