Abstract: Twenty-year old Ginkgo biloba L.‘Fozhi’was used to investigate nutrient metabolism mechanisms during the development of the female gametophyte，using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that during development of the female gametophyte，accumulation of nutrients showed a consistent change. Before fertilization，the jacket cells，tentpole，and neck cells rapidly accumulated large amounts of nutrients，while nutrients in endosperm cells around the archegonia were transferred gradually. During fertilization，nutrient metabolism in jacket cells and tentpole strongly increased. Nutrients in the endosperm cells around the archegonia were drastically reduced，and the endosperm cells and neck cells began to disintegrate. Jacket cells，tentpole，neck cells，and the endosperm tissue around archegonia all disintegrated after fertilization. We also found that the accumulation of nutrients in the endosperm underwent four stages：Parenchyma cell proliferation，the formation of nutrients，a rapid increase in nutrient accumulation，and a slight increase in nutrient accumulation. Finally，we found that starch grains developed from amyloplasts that contain one or more amyloid. These starch grains proliferated by budding or by constriction in the middle. Proteins present included P1 in the inner endosperm cell，and P2 in the outer aleurone layer. Before fertilization，the jacket cells and tentpole were highly active，and filled with high amounts of starch and protein，as well as mitochondria，endoplasmic reticulum and vesicles.

Key words: Ginkgo biloba L., female gametophyte, archegonia, endosperm, starch, protein