Abstract: Starch is the major component of endosperm in milled rice. The content and features of starch are directly related to rice quality. Previously, research into rice starch was focused on its structure and content and classical genetics. With the development of molecular biology and transgenic techniques, starch biosynthesis and its molecular mechanism have received much interest, and progress has been made on related gene cloning, the investigation of molecular characterization and expression regulation of these genes. In this review , we summarize the form and structure of starch, enzymes related to starch biosynthesis and recent progress in improving rice quality by transgenic approaches. We also discuss future prospects of this field.