Study guide
4.6 The Urinary and Reproductive Systems
ATI TEAS 7 Nursing Admission
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1 Introduction to the ATI TEAS 7
1.1 About the ATI TEAS 7 Exam 1.2 Content Area Breakdown 1.3 Scoring and Program Requirements 1.4 Building Your TEAS Study Plan
2 Reading
2.1 Identifying the Main Idea 2.2 Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions 2.3 Summarizing and Paraphrasing 2.4 Understanding Text Structure 2.5 Author's Purpose, Tone, and Point of View 2.6 Evaluating Arguments, Evidence, and Credibility 2.7 Integrating Information and Interpreting Graphics 2.8 TEAS Reading Strategies, Pacing, and Practice
3 Mathematics
3.1 Whole Numbers and Basic Operations 3.2 Fractions 3.3 Decimals and Percentages 3.4 Ratios and Proportions 3.5 Algebra and Equations 3.6 Measurement and Unit Conversions 3.7 Statistics and Data Interpretation 3.8 Geometry Basics
4 Science
4.1 The Cardiovascular System 4.2 The Respiratory System 4.3 The Digestive System 4.4 The Nervous System 4.5 The Musculoskeletal System 4.6 The Urinary and Reproductive Systems 4.7 Cell Biology and Genetics 4.8 Chemistry Basics 4.9 Scientific Reasoning and the Scientific Method
5 English & Language Usage
5.1 Grammar and the Parts of Speech 5.2 Sentence Structure 5.3 Punctuation 5.4 Spelling and Word Usage 5.5 Vocabulary in Context and Word Parts 5.6 Paragraph Organization and the Writing Process 5.7 Formal vs. Informal Language, Audience, and Tone 5.8 TEAS English Section Strategies and Pacing
4.6 The Urinary and Reproductive Systems
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
The nephron is the kidney's functional unit; about 1 million per kidney form urine through filtration, reabsorption, and secretion
Filtration happens at the glomerulus; the proximal tubule reabsorbs 100% of glucose and amino acids; ADH and aldosterone fine-tune water and sodium recovery
Kidneys regulate blood pressure (renin), make erythropoietin, activate vitamin D, and maintain acid-base balance near blood pH 7.4
Sperm form in the seminiferous tubules of the testes (spermatogenesis); eggs mature in ovaries (oogenesis); fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube
An LH surge triggers ovulation around day 14; the menstrual cycle has menstrual, follicular, ovulation, and luteal phases
Last updated: October 2026
Why These Systems Matter on the TEAS
The urinary system filters blood, removes nitrogenous waste, and keeps the body's internal fluid chemistry within a narrow survivable range. The reproductive system produces gametes (sex cells) and the hormones that drive sexual development and pregnancy. Both are on ATI's Anatomy & Physiology list, and nurses constantly monitor urine output, electrolytes, and fluid balance, and because reproductive physiology underlies obstetric and gynecologic care.
Expect questions that ask you to name the functional unit of the kidney, place a step of urine formation in the right tubule segment, match a hormone to its effect, or identify where fertilization occurs. The system is easier to remember when you trace one drop of fluid from blood to bladder.
Urinary System Organs
- Organ Function
- Kidneys Filter blood, produce urine, regulate fluid, electrolytes, and pH
- Ureters Transport urine from kidneys to bladder by peristalsis
- Urinary bladder Stores urine until elimination
- Urethra Carries urine out of the body
The kidneys sit retroperitoneally on either side of the spine. Each is organized into an outer renal cortex , an inner renal medulla (containing the loops of Henle and collecting ducts), and a funnel-shaped renal pelvis that collects finished urine and channels it into the ureter.
The Nephron: The Functional Unit
The nephron is the microscopic functional unit of the kidney, and each kidney holds roughly 1 million of them. Memorize the parts in the order fluid flows through them, because questions can ask what happens "next."
- Part Role in Urine Formation
- Glomerulus Capillary tuft where blood is filtered
- Bowman's capsule Cup that surrounds the glomerulus and catches filtrate
- Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) Reabsorbs most nutrients, water, and ions
- Loop of Henle Concentrates urine; reabsorbs water and salt
- Distal convoluted tubule (DCT) Fine-tunes ion and water reabsorption and secretion
- Collecting duct Final water reabsorption under ADH control
- The Three Steps of Urine Formation
Filtration — At the glomerulus, blood pressure forces water, glucose, ions, and wastes out of the blood and into Bowman's capsule. Large items (blood cells, proteins) stay in the blood. The kidneys filter an enormous volume each day, so most of that fluid must be recovered.
Reabsorption — In the tubules, useful substances move back into the blood. The PCT reabsorbs essentially 100% of glucose and amino acids plus most sodium and water.
Secretion — The tubules actively add extra wastes (such as hydrogen ions, potassium, and some drugs) from blood into the forming urine, which is how the kidney fine-tunes blood pH and ion levels.
Fluid, Electrolyte, and pH Balance
The kidney is the body's master regulator of internal chemistry, and two hormones do most of the fine-tuning:
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) , released by the posterior pituitary, makes the collecting duct more permeable to water. More ADH means more water reabsorbed and small, concentrated urine; less ADH means dilute urine. ADH rises during dehydration.
Aldosterone , from the adrenal cortex, tells the DCT and collecting duct to reabsorb sodium (water follows the sodium) and to secrete potassium . It raises blood volume and blood pressure.
The kidney also defends acid-base balance : it excretes hydrogen ions and reclaims bicarbonate to keep blood pH near 7.4 . When blood is too acidic, the tubules secrete more H+.
- Kidney Functions Beyond Making Urine
- Regulate blood pressure by releasing the enzyme renin
- Produce erythropoietin (EPO) , which signals bone marrow to make red blood cells
- Activate vitamin D , supporting calcium absorption
- Maintain acid-base (pH) balance
- Balance electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and calcium
- Male Reproductive System
- Structure Function
- Testes Produce sperm and the hormone testosterone
- Seminiferous tubules Site of sperm production inside the testes
- Epididymis Stores and matures sperm
- Vas deferens Carries sperm toward the urethra
- Seminal vesicles Add fructose-rich fluid for sperm energy
- Prostate gland Adds alkaline fluid that protects sperm
- Urethra Shared pathway for urine and semen
Spermatogenesis occurs continuously after puberty in the seminiferous tubules, driven by testosterone , following the path: spermatogonia to primary spermatocyte to secondary spermatocyte to spermatid to mature sperm.
Female Reproductive System and the Menstrual Cycle
- Structure Function
- Ovaries Produce eggs (ova) and the hormones estrogen and progesterone
- Fallopian tubes Carry the egg toward the uterus; usual site of fertilization
- Uterus Houses and nourishes a developing fetus
- Endometrium Uterine lining that thickens then sheds each cycle
- Cervix Lower neck of the uterus opening into the vagina
The roughly 28-day menstrual cycle has four phases, controlled by four hormones:
- Menstrual phase — the endometrium sheds (days 1–5)
- Follicular phase — FSH matures a follicle and estrogen rebuilds the endometrium
- Ovulation — a surge of LH (luteinizing hormone) releases the egg, about day 14
- Luteal phase — the corpus luteum releases progesterone to maintain the lining
Example: A patient charts a 28-day cycle with no period this month. Working backward: ovulation (the LH surge) happens about day 14, fertilization occurs in the fallopian tube , and high progesterone from the corpus luteum keeps the endometrium intact instead of shedding — a logical sequence the TEAS expects you to reconstruct from the hormones involved.