Synthetic fibers or fibres are the result of extensive research by scientists to improve on naturally occurring animal and plant fibers. In general, synthetic fibers are created by extruding fiber forming materials through spinnerets into air and water, forming a thread. Before synthetic fibers were developed, artificially manufactured fibers were made from polymers obtained from petro chemicals. These fibers are called synthetic or artificial fibers. Some fibers are manufactured from plant-derived cellulose.