Transitional epithelium changes shape during distension to enable stretch and recoil. This statement describes its ability to do what?

• A. It has multiple cell layers but never changes shape.
• B. It can change shape from cuboidal to squamous during distension, enabling stretch and recoil.
• C. It is always keratinized.
• D. It is composed of single layer of tall columnar cells.

Answer: (B)

Transitional epithelium is built to stretch and recoil. Its outermost cells can change shape as the organ distends: when the bladder is relaxed, the cells appear more cuboidal or round; as it fills and distends, those cells flatten toward squamous shapes to widen the lumen. This dynamic shape change allows the tissue to accommodate larger volumes without tearing, and then return to its resting shape as the bladder empties. The tissue is stratified, not a single layer, and it is not keratinized, so those alternatives don’t fit the functional feature being described.