Final answer:
The ureters and urethra are primarily lined with transitional epithelium, which allows for stretching as urine volume changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of epithelium that lines the ureters and urethra is transitional epithelium. This specialized epithelial tissue is characterized by its ability to stretch and handle fluctuating volumes of urine. In the ureters and the majority of the urethra, the transitional epithelium can transition from a thick, multi-layered arrangement when the bladder is empty to a thinner, less stratified arrangement when the bladder or ureters are full. Interestingly, the distal third of the urethra is lined with a mucus-secreting epithelium, which plays a different role in protecting the epithelium from the corrosive nature of urine.