HOSA Anatomy and Physiology Assessment Practice Test

Transitional cells are a specialized type of epithelial tissue that can change shape in response to stretching and compression. This adaptability is particularly important in organs that experience significant changes in volume, such as the bladder. When the bladder fills with urine, transitional cells stretch to accommodate the increased volume, and upon emptying, they can revert to a more relaxed state. This unique ability to transition between different shapes—typically from a more cuboidal or columnar form to a flattened appearance—makes transitional epithelium highly effective in its function of providing a barrier while also allowing for expansion and contraction. This characteristic distinguishes transitional cells from squamous, cuboidal, and columnar cells, which do not have the same level of flexibility when it comes to changes in their structural form.