Final answer:
Spermatogenesis is the biological process of producing sperm in the testes, starting with mitosis of diploid spermatogonia and concluding with meiosis, followed by spermiogenesis that results in mature haploid sperm cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Spermatogenesis?
Spermatogenesis is the process by which sperm are produced in males. It begins with the mitosis of diploid spermatogonia, which are the precursor cells found in the testes. These cells contain a full set of chromosomes (46 in humans) and are considered diploid (2n). To produce mature sperm cells, which are haploid (1n) with half the number of chromosomes (23 in humans), the spermatogonia must undergo meiosis. Meiosis includes two rounds of cell division that reduce the number of chromosomes by half. Furthermore, the term spermiogenesis describes the final stage of spermatogenesis, where the spermatids mature into fully functional, motile sperm cells. The entire process of spermatogenesis, from the production of spermatogonia to the formation of mature sperm, occurs in the seminiferous tubules of the testes and takes about 9 to 10 weeks.