Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase is the first enzyme in the pentose phosphate pathway. The pentose phosphate pathway is the major pathway cells use to generate NADPH, an important co-enzyme involved in oxidation/reduction reactions. One consequence of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency is the premature death of red blood cells. This is because the lack of the enzyme leads to insufficient production of NADPH, which is needed to reduce glutathione, an antioxidant that helps protect red blood cells from oxidative stress by eliminating reactive oxygen species. Without glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, reactive oxygen species accumulate which leads to the formation of aggregates of cross-linked hemoglobin and premature death in red