What do you think would happen if a genetic mutation caused a person's digestive tract to have stratified columnar epithelium instead of simple columnar epithelium?

Absorption and secretion would be impossible within the digestive tract.

Explanation:

Epithelium is one of the tissues found in humans. It is classified as either simple or stratified depending on the number of cell layers. Simple epithelial tissues have one layer of cells while stratified have many layers of cells. Based on the shape, epithelial tissues can either be squamous, columnar or cuboidal.

Due to the single-layer of the simple epithelial tissues, they line the walls of secretory or absorptive organs e.g organs of digestive tract. The stratified epithelium is majorly for protective function due to the number of cell layers it possess and not a good type of epithelium for locations where absorption and secretion of substances is common e.g digestive tract.

Hence, if a genetic mutation causes a person's digestive tract to have stratified columnar epithelium instead of simple columnar epithelium, ABSORPTION AND SECRETION of chemical substances, which is a key feature of organs (stomach, intestine) that make up digestive tracts, will be impossible.

a physical change is being made.