GO:0006098:   pentose-phosphate shunt
The glucose-6-phosphate catabolic process in which, coupled to NADPH synthesis, glucose-6-P is oxidized with the formation of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ribulose 5-phosphate; ribulose 5-P then enters a series of reactions interconverting sugar phosphates. The pentose phosphate pathway is a major source of reducing equivalents for biosynthesis reactions and is also important for the conversion of hexoses to pentoses.