What it means
A quick way to look at cells or germs. A Pap smear (now usually called a Pap test) looks at cells from the cervix; a blood smear shows the shape of blood cells; a sputum smear is stained to look for the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.
Related terms
tuberculosis
An infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most often attacks the lungs.
Pap test
A screening test in which cells are gently scraped from the cervix and looked at under a microscope.
cytology
The study of cells, or a lab test that looks at cells under a microscope.