Stratified Epithelial Tissue 
Cells are arranged in rows or sheets MULTIPLE cell layers thick.
Read the descriptions of the different stratified epithelia below
and select the best choice using all the clues you can find.

stratified squamous epithelium
(often more than 10 layers of cells)

In the top layers, cells are all squamous - like tiles, or pancakes, or fried eggs

Nuclei tend to be flattened in the top layers.

Cells and nuclei in the lower layers may be any shape.


transitional epithelium
(often 5 or more layers of cells)

In the top layers, cells tend to be irregular in shape (often round or pillow shaped)

Nuclei tend to be fairly large and round or oval
throughout all layers.

Cells in the lower layers may be round or elongated.
(c) 2018 Jackie Lindbeck
CAUTION: Don't confuse the truly stratified epithelia
with pseudostratified epithelium
(which is actually a simple epithelium)
Review of pseudostratied columnar epithelium
found in the Category: Simple Epithelial Tissue 
Cells are arranged in rows or sheets one cell thick - BUT they look deceptively as though there are multiple layers.

pseudostratified columnar epithelium

Cells resemble rectangles or columns.
Nuclei tend to vary in shape and are located at very different heights in adjacent cells.
(this gives the deceptive appearance of multiple layers)

Cells are very tall and narrow.

You can often see one nucleus partially hidden behind another nucleus.