What happens to a process when it enters the terminated state?

When a process enters the terminated state, it signifies that the process has completed its execution and is no longer needed by the operating system. In this state, the operating system takes the necessary actions to clean up resources that were allocated to the process, such as memory and any file handles, effectively winding down its existence in the system.

Removing the process from the system is crucial because it prevents any further interaction with the terminated process. Once a process is terminated, it cannot be scheduled for CPU time or generate new processes, as it is no longer part of the system's active process management. This state is part of the process lifecycle, ensuring that resources are efficiently managed and free for new processes.

In contrast, processes in a ready queue are those awaiting CPU time, while processes that can still receive CPU time or create new processes would be in active or different states, not in termination. Therefore, the process's transition to the terminated state leads to its removal from the system, finalizing its lifecycle.