Selenium is a trace element that is essential in small amounts, but like all essential elements, selenium can be toxic at high levels. Unlike plants, most animals – including humans – require selenium for the appropriate functioning of a number of selenium-dependent enzymes known as selenoproteins. During protein synthesis (translation), the amino acid selenocysteine is incorporated into elongating proteins at very specific locations in the amino acid sequence in order to form functional selenoproteins. Although higher plants do not appear to require selenium for survival, they can incorporate it non-specifically into sulfur-containing molecules when the mineral is present in the soil (1). Of note, in animals, the amino acid selenomethionine can be nonspecifically incorporated into proteins in place of methionine (2). However, only selenocysteine-containing proteins are regarded as selenoproteins (Figure 1).