Cervix uteri (40X)

The folded mucosa of the endocervix is more visible here, and the folds are termed plica palmata (plural: plicae palmatae). They may look like tubular glands, but in reality they only represent folding of the surface with no particular specializations. The zone where the surface epithelium changes from one type to another is also visible. This is the so called transitional zone, which is the part of the cervix that is most susceptible to malignancy.