Developing oxidative stress inevitably causes damage to cell proteins in need of timely refolding. Synthesis of a group of heat shock proteins is the most ancient and effective mechanism of cell protection. In the course of the whole life of the cell adaptation to a huge number of cytotoxic factors, both xenobiotic and natural origin provide heat shock proteins with polyfunctionality and in terms of the implementation of programmed death acting as either anti - or proapoptogenic factors, or as regulators of the activity of these factors. Studies show the important role of heat shock proteins in adaptation, inflammation, and immune response. Various experimental and clinical studies prove the important role of heat shock proteins in the development of pathophysiological phenomena of oxidative stress, aging, tumor formation, immune reactions. Presented in the review data of domestic and foreign studies on the physiological significance of heat shock proteins, their role in the mechanisms of cell and body stability in General are relevant to modern medicine and biology.