Surfaces of cornea or conjunctiva of the eye, oral cavity, oesophagus, anal canal, vagina and internal portion of lips are made up of stratified squamous epithelium tissue and must be kept moist by bodily secretions to prevent them from drying out.
Here, only one layer is in contact with the basement membrane and the other layers adhere to one another to maintain the structural integrity.
Thus, the correct answer is option C.