Short title of the paper … Key message: In order to improve agricultural productivity, this review explores the dual roles of ROS and RNS in plant metabolism, emphasizing their effects on growth, stress adaption, and programmed cell death. Abstract Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) play indispensable roles in plant metabolic processes, acting as both potentially harmful and crucial messengers in plant physiology. These reactive species contribute significantly to plant growth and their ability to adapt to various environmental challenges. The interactive relationship between reactive species and their molecular pathways forms a regulatory network that overcomes the physiological development of plants. Plant growth stages are significantly influenced by the amounts of these reactive species generated by different cellular components. This review emphasizes the various stresses related to the generation of reactive species and specifically addresses the disruptive role of RNS at various developmental stages in plant physiology. Furthermore, crosslinking ROS and RNS, leading to drastic changes within cells leading to programmed cell death, explains the significance of reactive species undergoing plant development. Thus. Understanding the multifaceted roles of reactive species in various stress responses and regulation would provide insights into the potential development of agricultural crop yields.