Final answer:
Oogenesis is the process of ovum formation via meiosis in females, starting in fetal development with oogonia dividing by mitosis, producing primary oocytes which later become mature ova.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formation of an ovum through the process of meiosis is called oogenesis. Unlike spermatogenesis, which produces four sperm cells, oogenesis results in the formation of one mature egg or ovum from each original cell. The process begins in females during fetal development as ovarian stem cells or oogonia replicate via mitosis. These oogonia form primary oocytes which are then arrested in this stage of meiosis I until they resume at puberty, continuing until menopause. The primary oocytes both decrease in number over time and undergo division to produce the ovum.