The dynamics of a biochemical system is obviously subjected to universal laws of thermodynamics, but analytical forms of the criteria and constraints having been deduced up to date and findable in the literature are to some extent arguable. The paper examines the thermodynamic constraints on chemical reaction pathways and is aimed at fi nding the ways to boost equilibrium-limited reactions under mild conditions by means of blurring the equilibrium or circumventing it. In particular, herein we deal with the thermodynamic analysis of reactions that proceed with exhibiting either the multiplicity of equilibrium states (partial equilibria) or the total absence of an equilibrium. The multiplicity of equilibrium states refers to oscillatory reactions. Thermochemical regularities of such reactions are revealed, and it is shown that they are not determined by positive or negative feedback. The total absence of an equilibrium is inherent in conjugate reactions, i.e. in couples of chemical reactions, one of which (namely, the induced reaction) is impossible in the absence of the other one (namely, the inducing reaction) because of being thermodynamically prohibited. To tackle the challenge of providing thermodynamic control of such reactions we focus on exergetic restrictions and hence deduce general conditions for inducing a heterogeneous homophase reaction.