The pentose phosphate pathway (also called the hexose monophosphate shunt, or pathway) occurs in the cytosol of the cell. consists of two, irreversible oxidative reactions, followed by a series of reversible sugar-phosphate interconversions
The oxidative portion of the pentose phosphate pathway consists of three reactions that lead to the formation of ribulose 5-phosphate, and two molecules of NADPH for each molecule of glucose 6-phosphate oxidized
The nonoxidative reactions of the pentose phosphate pathway occur in cell types synthesizing nucleotides and nucleic acids. These reactions catalyze the interconversion of three-, four-, five-, six-, and sevencarbon sugars
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are large complexes of negatively charged heteropolysaccharide chains