The Pentose Phosphate Pathway

I need erythrose phosphate

And don’t know what to do

My cells are full of G-6-P

Plus NADP too

But I just hit upon a plan

As simple as can be

I’ll run reactions through the path

That’s known as PPP

In just two oxidations

There’s ribulose-5P

Which morphs to other pentoses

Each one attached to P

The next step it is simple

Deserving of some praise

The pentose carbons mix and match

Thanks to transketolase

Glyceraldehyde’s a product

Sedoheptulose is too

Each with a trailing phosphate

But we are not quite through

Now three plus seven is the same

As adding six and four

By swapping carbons back and forth

There’s erythrose-P and more

At last I’ve got the thing I need

From carbons trading places

I’m happy that my cells are full

Of some transaldolases