Nos ultimos anos, vĂȘm se acumulando as evidĂȘncias sobre a necessidade de vanĂĄdio dos organismos mais evoluĂdos. Estudos de compostos modelos constituem-se numa importante ferramenta para o entendimento dos diferentes aspectos da bioquĂmica deste bioelemento. Neste artigo, apresentamos os resultados dos nossos estudos, assim como os de outros grupos de pesquisa, sobre compostos modelos relacionados a vĂĄrios aspectos do metabolismo e detoxificação do vanĂĄdio e a haloperoxidasas dependentes do vanĂĄdio. SĂŁo tambĂ©m apresentadas informaçÔes sobre as interaçÔes do cĂĄtion oxovanĂĄdio(IV), relevante do ponto de vista biolĂłgico, com bioligantes importantes, tais como nucleotideos, carboidratos, fosfatos e outros sistemas correlatos.Increasing evidence on the need of the higher forms of life for vanadium has accumulated during recent years. Model studies have become a very important tool to attain a better understanding of different aspects of the biochemistry of this bioelement. In this account we present the results of our own studies, as well as those of other research groups, on models related to different aspects of its metabolism and detoxification and to vanadium dependent haloperoxidases. Additional information about the interaction of the biologically relevant oxovanadium(IV) cation with important bioligands, such as nucleotides, carbohydrates, phosphates and related systems are also presented.