<prompt> In mature erythrocytes, the pentose phosphate pathway is impoant as a source of:Pentose phosphatesNADH to maintain heme iron in the ferrous formFor generation of energy in the form of ATPNADPH to maintain glutathione in the reduced form  <response>: NADPH is used by glutathione reductase to maintain glutathione in the reduced form. Pentose phosphates are not needed in the red blood cell. The pentose phosphate pathway is not a source of NADH ATP is not generated from NADPH. 