Discovery and active exploration of the furosemid-sensitive derived-active co-transport of sodium-potassium-chlorine ions took place in the end of 1970-es-1980-es. This transportation mechanism was discovered in various types of cells, both of plant and of animal origin. This review describes properties of the transportation process, which was most comprehensive explored in experiments with erythrocytes, epithelium cells and muscles. The review covers the following properties: anion and cation selectivity of the chlorine transportation, its sensitivity to the specific blocking agents (furocemid, bumetanid, etc.), stoichiometry of the transportation process, etc. For energy source, the chlorine transportation is based on transmembrane electrochemical gradient for sodium ions. The article provides the most recent results of investigation of the chemical nature of the molecule of the chlorine membrane transport. Based on various studies, the molecule of this protein weighs from 120 to 200 kD, includes about 1200 amino acid residua, and forms long cytoplasmatic NH2 and COOH-termini. The gene encoding the amino acid sequence has been cloned. The article discusses the issues of regulation of the chlorine transportation. Humoral control of intensity of the chlorine transportation has been mostly studied in experiments with plain muscles, the issues related to nervous regulation--with only skeleton muscle fibers. The article provides specific data on the mechanisms of the above types of the physiological regulation of active chlorine transportation. In general, the humoral factors, which increase the intracellular concentration of cAMF stimulate chlorine transportation. On the contrary, the hormones, which increase concentration of cGMF in cytoplasm reduce its activity in plain muscles. The discussion of the mechanisms of the nervous controls of the chlorine transportation in the skeleton muscles includes the original results of the author. These results indicate that the suppressive influence of the motor innervation on intensity of the chlorine transportation involves the non-quantum acetilcholine and glutamate secreted from the motor nerves. These agents produce Ca(2+)-dependent molecules of nitrogen oxide in sarcoplasm, which act in the retrograde mode on the nervous terminal and activate there the synthesis of cGMF. Disruption of this bilateral transsynaptic signalization resulting from cutting a nerve of blocking of its axoflow creates more active chlorine transportation and subsequent de-innervation changes in properties of the muscle fibers. The functions of chlorine transportation, which are best studies as of today and therefore, discussed in more detail in the review, include participation of this process in the regulatory rehabilitation of the volume of various cells in non-isotonic medium, and the role of chlorine transportation in development of a negative charge at the interior side of membrane of the skeleton muscle fibers. The former function essentially means that dehydration of a cell in the hypertonic medium increases activity of the sodium, potassium and chlorine co-transport directed to the cell, resulting in increase of the amount of the osmosis-active cytoplasm material, and inflow of water, which fully restores the cell volume in these conditions. Starting from the pioneer studies by Hodgkin and Horowicz [correction of Hojkin and Gorovits], the role of chlorine ions in forming a charge on the membrane of excited cells has been generally interpreted as exclusively passive. I.e., distribution of these ions over both sides of membrane was assumed as equilibrium with the existing values of the membrane potential in the non-excited state. The review provides data obtained in the recent decade, which have proved that the non-excited membrane potential in muscle fibers is co-created by the diffusional potassium and chlorine potential. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)