I know they carry diseases which can harm or kill the animal it is attached to. These diseases can taint the meat of the animal so it wouldn't be wise to eat it which stinks if the animal is bread for eating. They can also irritate the skin and cause rashes, or even eat the flesh of the animal away.
Generally, epithelial cells serve the function of protection of the inner layers of the structure they are on. The fact that these columbar epithelium and transitional epithelium cells have smooth walls and are dome shaped allows them to stretch. This stretching helps the bladder retain more urine than it would be able to if the epithelial cells were rigid.
Cell membrane is the answe
