Which reproductive process starts during fetal development and ends at menopause, producing one viable cell per parent cell?

Oogenesis is the reproductive process that begins during fetal development in females and continues through various stages until menopause. This process involves the maturation of oocytes, or egg cells, and is characterized by the production of a single viable ovum (egg) from each parent cell, specifically from an oogonium through several stages including mitosis, meiosis, and maturation.

During fetal development, the primary oocytes are formed and enter a stage of arrested development until puberty. Upon reaching puberty, these oocytes resume development in a cyclical pattern influenced by hormonal changes, eventually leading to ovulation, where one matured ovum is released, while the other potential eggs degenerate. This cyclical nature continues until menopause, the point at which a female's reproductive hormones decline, and ovulation ceases altogether.

In contrast, spermatogenesis occurs continually in males, producing numerous sperm cells rather than one viable sperm per parent cell. Fertilization refers to the actual union of an egg and sperm, and embryogenesis is the process following fertilization, which involves the development of the embryo. Thus, oogenesis is specifically unique in its timing within the female reproductive lifecycle and its output, which culminates in the production of one functional egg from each round of meiosis