The Papanicolaou test (also called Pap smear, Pap test, cervical smear, or smear test) is a screening test

Screening (medicine)

Screening, in medicine, is a strategy used in a population to detect a disease in individuals without signs or symptoms of that disease. Unlike what generally happens in medicine, screening tests are performed on persons without any clinical sign of disease....

 used in to detect pre-cancerous and cancerous processes in the endocervical canal (transformation zone) of the female reproductive system. Changes can be treated, thus preventing cervical cancer

Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...

. The test was invented by and named after the prominent Greek

Greeks

The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

 doctor Georgios Papanikolaou

Georgios Papanikolaou

Georgios Nicholas Papanikolaou was a Greek pioneer in cytology and early cancer detection, and inventor of the "Pap smear".-Life:...

. An anal Pap smear

Anal Pap smear

An anal Pap smear is the anal counterpart of the cervical Pap smear. It is used for the early detection of anal cancer. The Human papilloma virus , the cause of anogenital warts, can cause anal carcinomas to form. Individuals with a history of anal warts are at risk of getting anal cancer.-...

 is an adaptation of the procedure to screen and detect anal cancers.

In taking a Pap smear, a speculum

Speculum (medical)

A speculum is a medical tool for investigating body cavities, with a form dependent on the body cavity for which it is designed. In old texts, the speculum may also be referred to as a diopter or dioptra...

 is used to open the vaginal canal and allow the collection of cells

Cell (biology)

The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and is often called the building block of life. The Alberts text discusses how the "cellular building blocks" move to shape developing embryos....

 from the outer opening of the cervix

Cervix

The cervix is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus where it joins with the top end of the vagina. It is cylindrical or conical in shape and protrudes through the upper anterior vaginal wall...

 of the uterus

Uterus

The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...

 and the endocervix.