AAMC FL Practice Exam

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What does the Pentose Phosphate Pathway primarily produce?

NADPH and Ribose 5-phosphate
ATP and NADH
Glucose and Oxygen
ADP and Ribulose 5-phosphate

The correct answer is: NADPH and Ribose 5-phosphate

The Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP) primarily produces NADPH and ribose 5-phosphate, making this the correct answer. NADPH serves as a crucial reducing agent in various biosynthetic reactions, including fatty acid synthesis and nucleotide synthesis. It's also essential for maintaining the reduced state of glutathione in cells, which helps protect against oxidative stress. Ribose 5-phosphate, on the other hand, is vital for nucleotide synthesis, providing the necessary sugar backbone for nucleotides that are essential for DNA and RNA synthesis. The other options presented do not reflect the main outputs of the Pentose Phosphate Pathway. For instance, ATP and NADH are produced primarily during cellular respiration and other metabolic pathways like glycolysis, not the PPP. Glucose and oxygen are byproducts of photosynthesis rather than outputs of the PPP. Lastly, ADP and ribulose 5-phosphate do not represent the primary products of the pathway, as ribulose 5-phosphate is an intermediate, not a final product, and ADP is not a product of the PPP.