Synonym

3-Selanyl-2-aminopropanoic acid, L-Selenocysteine, 3-Selanyl-L-alanine, Selenium cysteine

Units of measurement

µmol/L, mg/L, mg/dL, mg/100mL, mg%, µg/mL

Selenocysteine is recognized as the 21st amino acid but, unlike other amino acids present in proteins, it is not coded for directly in the genetic code. Selenocysteine is encoded by a UGA codon, which is normally a stop codon; however, like the other amino acids used by cells, selenocysteine has a specialized transfer RNA (tRNA). Selenocysteine was named as an amino acid in 2002 and found to be the selenium analogue of cysteine, in which a selenium atom replaces sulfur. Selenocysteine is present in several enzymes, such as formate dehydrogenases, glycine reductases, and some hydrogenases. It has been discovered that HIV-1 encodes a functional selenoprotein, and patients with HIV infection have been shown to have a lower-than-average blood plasma selenium level.

Units description

Micromole per liter	µmol/L = mcmol/L = umol/L = µM/L = mcM/L = uM/L = micromol/L
Milligram per liter	mg/L = millig/L = milligram/L = mg/liter
Milligram per deciliter	mg/dL = millig/dL = milligram/dL
Milligram per 100 milliliters	mg/100mL = millig/100mL = milligram/100mL
Milligram percent	mg% = millig% = milligram%
Microgram per milliliter	µg/mL = mcg/mL = ug/mL= microg/mL = microgram/mL

Lab units Conversion Calculator. Convert Selenocysteine (Sec) level to µmol/L, mg/L, mg/dL, mg/100mL, mg%, µg/mL. Clinical laboratory units online conversion from conventional or traditional units to Si units. Table of conversion factors for Selenocysteine (Sec).