Which of the following is produced by the Pentose Phosphate Shunt system? (Choose 2)

The Pentose Phosphate Shunt, also known as the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP), primarily serves two important functions: it generates NADPH and produces ribose-5-phosphate.

NADPH is crucial for providing reducing power in various biosynthetic reactions, including fatty acid synthesis and the maintenance of reduced glutathione levels, which protects cells from oxidative stress. The PPP runs parallel to glycolysis, and as glucose-6-phosphate is oxidized, NADP+ is reduced to NADPH in the oxidative phase of the pathway.

Ribose-5-phosphate, on the other hand, is a key component for nucleotide synthesis, and it is essential in the production of nucleotides and nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA. The non-oxidative phase of the PPP interconverts sugar phosphates and generates ribose-5-phosphate based on cellular needs.

While ATP and FADH2 are important molecules in cellular metabolism—ATP being the primary energy currency and FADH2 playing a key role in the electron transport chain—they are not products of the Pentose Phosphate Shunt. The major outputs of this pathway specifically include NADPH and ribose-5-phosphate, which play