The Pentose Phosphate Pathway produces reducing power in the form of NADPH that the cell can
use to fuel biosynthetic reactions and produce a number of other sugars. The three, four, five, six,
and seven carbon sugars produced by the pentose phosphate pathway can enter a number of
biosynthetic or oxidative pathways. Glycolytic intermediates such as glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
can be used to produce ATP while other sugars such as ribose 5-phosphate can be used to synthesize
nucleotides. Click the enzyme or substrate labels for more information.

Transketolase reversibly converts xylulose 5-phosphate and ribose 5-phosphate to sedoheptulose 7-phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Transketolase can also reversibly convert erythrose 4-phosphate and xylulose 5-phosphate to fructose 6-phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate.