stratified epithelium [L, stratum + facere; Gk, epi, above, thele, nipple] , closely packed sheets of epithelial cells arranged in layers over the external surface of the body and lining most of the hollow structures. The layers may include stratified squamous, stratified columnar, or stratified columnar ciliated types of cells. There are various subtypes of stratified epithelium, named for the type of cells on the surface (e.g., stratified squamous epithelium, stratified columnar epithelium).
