The review paper deals with analysis of general features of exothermic catalytic reactions over heterogeneous catalysts. Data on studying and arrangement of a number of practically important catalytic reactions are discussed: partial oxidation of hydrocarbons and CO, syntheses of alcohols and hydrocarbons from CO and H 2 , hydrocarbon hydrogenation, preferable oxidation of CO. Variations in temperature or concentration of materials fed to the catalyst may result the system in passing through ignition and fading of the catalyst surface by transiting from the low active state to the high active state (external diffusion control regime) and back so that a temperature or concentration hysteresis is observed. The Semenov criterion is used for considering possible temperature profiles established in the catalytic tube reactor during stationary exothermic reaction. The reactors can be classified into isothermic, polytropic, adiabatic depending on the ratio of heat supply and sink rates. The presence of the hot zone shifted to the inlet to the catalyst bed is characteristic of the polytropic reactors. It is emphasized that the temperature profile is influenced by: occurrence of an endothermic reaction along with the exothermic reaction; strong adsorption of one of the reactants; catalyst deactivation. Specific aspects of the reaction transition to the regime of non-isothermic oscillations are considered.