Sputum smear and sputum culture are both used as a means of diagnosing the respiratory system, and the presence of possible infectious agents. A sputum smear is a direct smear of the patient’s sputum on a glass slide, which is stained accordingly to identify possible pathogens. For example, the sputum is stained for Mycobacterium antacidum to identify the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Sputum culture is performed by placing the sputum in a special culture vessel, where the possible pathogens can be cultured at a certain temperature and humidity, and with the necessary nutrition, and then smear examination. Generally, in clinical practice, a sputum smear is positive for more bacterial colonies that can be seen. If the test is negative, but a possible pathogen is suspected to be infected, the sputum can then be cultured again. If the pathogenic bacteria are cultured, this is where the cause of the disease is found.