Protease, peptidase, and ribonuclease activities were demonstrated in germinating pea cotyledons and axis tissues. These activities indicate that the enzymatic machinery for the hydrolysis of protein and nucleic acid reserves are present in the germinating cotyledon. The fate of hydrolytic products was determined by injecting leucine-14C or adenine-8-14C into the cotyledons. At most, 20 per cent of the leucine-14C and 10 per cent of the adenine-8-14C administered were transported from the cotyledon to axis tissues. Both compounds were extensively metabolized and the labelling patterns suggest that different metabolic pathways are in operation in the two organs. The amounts of adenine incorporated into nucleic acids and of leucine incorporated into protein in the cotyledons suggest that synthesis and turnover were occurring at a rapid rate. The adenine transported from the cotyledon was not readily available for nucleic acid synthesis in the axis whereas transported leucine was readily incorporated into axis protein.