A giant magneto-resistive effect element includes a lamination layer structure portion (10) in which at least a free layer (4) the magnetization of which is rotated in response to an external magnetic field, a fixed layer (2), an antiferromagnetic layer (1) for fixing the magnetization of the fixed layer (2) and a nonmagnetic layer (3) interposed between the free layer (4) and the fixed layer (2) are laminated with each other. A sense current flows to substantially a lamination layer direction of the lamination layer structure portion (10) and the lamination layer structure portion (10) has disposed thereon a high-resistance layer (R) which crosses a path of the sense current, whereby an element resistance can be increased and a magneto-resistance change amount can be increased. Thus, a magneto-resistive effect element, a magneto-resistive effect type magnetic sensor, a magneto-resistive effect type magnetic head and a magnetic memory become able to increase a magneto-resistive change amount.