Stress development intricately involves uncontrolled redox reactions and oxidative damage to functional macromolecules. Three phases characterize progressing abiotic stress and the stress strength; in the first phase redox-dependent deregulation in metabolism, in the second phase detectable development of oxidative damage and in the third phase cell death. Each phase is characterized by traceable biochemical features and specific molecular responses that reflect on the one hand cell damage but on the other hand indicate specific regulation and redox signalling aiming at compensation of stress impact.