Germination is a crucial process for propagation of most crop plants, and it is regulated by many environmental, and endogenous factors such as plant hormones. However, the germination of seeds before harvest, defined as preharvest sprouting, causes yield and quality losses. Ethylene is one of the plant hormones that act as a positive regulator of seed germination through its interaction with other hormones. Starch degradation is one of the metabolic processes that provides energy for embryo and seedling growth during and after germination. It is also one of the main factors that cause yield and quality losses in grains sprouted due to wet conditions that occur before harvest. To gain insights into the role of ethylene in regulating starch degradation during germination or sprouting, this thesis identified starch degrading genes of wheat and characterized their expression patterns in the endosperm during and after seed germination, and in response to inhibition of ethylene synthesis. The study also examined the activity of starch degradation enzymes, and the levels of starch and products of its degradation, that is, soluble sugars. Furthermore, expression patterns of starch degrading genes were compared between dormant and non-dormant wheat seeds. The results of the study overall suggest that specific gene family members of starch degrading genes play roles in mediating the effect of ethylene on starch degradation during and after wheat seed germination. The findings also indicate that the expression of starch degrading genes is influenced by the level of dormancy.