How much of a wheat kernel is endosperm?

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Close-up of mature golden wheat (Triticum aestivum) heads and stalks densely packed in a field. — Cereal processing Common wheat (*Triticum aestivum*).

The wheat kernel is composed of three primary parts: the embryo (germ), the starchy endosperm, and the protective outer covering layers (husk/bran). On average, the endosperm accounts for approximately 85 percent of the wheat grain.1

The endosperm serves as the primary raw material for flour manufacture, providing the necessary nutrients for the germinating seed. While the endosperm makes up the vast majority of the kernel, modern milling processes typically recover about 72 percent of the total grain as white flour.123