The invention provides a magnetoresistive element which magnetostatically has magnetic anisotropy to control a domain structure and which eliminates Barkhousen noise that will cause abrupt movement of domain walls and irregular magnetization due to a change in the signal magnetic field, wherein a grating pattern is formed on at least one surface of a magnetoresistive film by a process in which a grating pattern is unidirectionally formed on the surface of a substrate and the magnetoresistive film of a ferromagnetic body is deposited thereon. Further, various magnetoresistive elements to which a novel bias method is applied are provided.