Biological and chemical interest in selenium: a brief historical account

This review presents a brief account of the discovery, importance, and use of selenium. Based in the importance of selenoproteins, their mechanism of reaction with the participation of selenium, as a selenol (-SeH) group, are indicated. Since the selenol group is the softest nucleophile center found in life, a brief discussion about the synthesis and possible antioxidant and selenoprotein mimetic effects of the organoselenium compounds that can generate the selenol group is presented.