Transitional Epithelium (Urothelium)

#54 Urinary Bladder, H&E

This is a special, highly impermeable, type of stratified epithelium found only in the urinary tract. The surface cells change their shape depending upon the volume of the lumen. In this slide they are dome-shaped because the bladder is empty and is in the contracted state. Consult electron micrographs to understand the morphological changes that accompany expansion and contraction of the lumen.