Types of Pathways

Notes

Linear: these reactions start and end in differnet locations. 

A→B→C

• You can think of linear pathways as walking on a straight path. Every step forward you take is a new reaction, and where you started is not where you are going to end up. 

Cyclic: for this reaction type, the final step restarts the process again. 

A→B→C→A (which goes to B..C..A..B..C..A..B..C..)

• Cyclic→ you are going in a circle! You can walk around and around in a circle, and you will always eventually end up back where you started. 

Branched: This reaction proceeds like a linear pathway, but has one or more steps that can begin a “new” pathway. 

A→B→C    but it branches at B such that this is also true A→B→D

• Think of the branches of a tree, and how they all come from the same trunk, but do not all end up in the same place.