What is the process of producing sex cells known as?

The process of producing sex cells, or gametes, is known as gametogenesis. This encompasses the entire sequence of events that lead to the formation of male and female gametes. In animals, gametogenesis includes spermatogenesis for sperm cells and oogenesis for egg cells.

During this process, diploid precursor cells undergo meiosis, a type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, resulting in haploid gametes. While meiosis is a critical part of gametogenesis, it is specifically the overall process of generating gametes that is referred to as gametogenesis.

Fertilization refers to the union of male and female gametes to form a zygote, while syngamy is a term that describes the fusion of gametes. Therefore, while related to gamete formation, these processes do not describe the production of sex cells themselves.