Phospholipids were examined for their capacity to protect human erythrocytes against hemolysis induced by hypotonic solution, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate or hematin. The following results were obtained. 1. Phosphatidyl choline, lysophosphatidyl choline and phophatidyl ethanoleamine as well as chlorpromazine prevented the osmotic hemolysis of human erythrocytes which occurred due to water influx into erythrocytes from medium, but showed no effect on hematin-induced hemolysis which occurred without the volume change of erythrocytes. 2. Human erythrocytes were found to be most sensitive to the antihemolytic action of phospholipids among mammalian erythrocytes from sheep, rabbit, rat and mouse. 3. Phospholipids at the concentrations showing their strong antihemolytic effect on human erythrocytes against osmotic hemolysis had no influence on methylene blue uptake and volume change of erythrocytes in hypotonic solution. 4. Phospholipids increased erythrocyte deformability 2 to 3 times over control group and there was aclose relationship between their antihemolytic action and increase of deformability as a function of their concentrations. 5. The phospholipids increased the resistance to osmotic hemolysis of human erythrocytes by increasing membrane elasticity through their incorporation into lipid bilayer without altering glucose metabolism and water influx to erythrocytes.