In this study we characterized the elastic properties of the normal bovine bladder throughout fetal life, the newborn period and into adulthood. The elasticity of the bladder was measured with a novel circularly clamped bladder testing system. Pressurization of a circularly clamped bladder tissue sample caused the tissue to deflect upward repetitively in the shape of a spherical cap. If the centerline deflection is much larger than the tissue thickness, the elastic modulus, considered the inverse of compliance, can be determined using linear regression techniques. The results of our analyses showed that the elastic modulus decreases in direct proportion with increasing gestational age. These data suggest that during normal development of the bovine fetal bladder there is a progressive change from a rather stiff noncompliant bladder characterized by a high elastic modulus to a compliant bladder with a lower elastic modulus. Moreover, the increase in compliance appears in the developmental period when urine production first occurs. These observations suggest that volume work may be a significant event in the normal development process of the bovine bladder and results in an increase in bladder compliance. Conversely, the poorly compliant fetal bladder may explain some of the transient dilatations of the upper urinary tract which have been documented in utero. Finally, from the newborn period to the mature adult bovine we documented a relatively modest increase in the elastic modulus or decrease in bladder compliance which may reflect the normal aging process.