The coiled length of metal appears to grasp the sphere, enfolding it like a hand. In actuality, quite the opposite is true. This sculpture portrays a zinc finger, a protein component important in gene regulation. This motif receives its name from its physical appearance--it protrudes from its parent protein like a finger to grasp DNA--and from the presence of a zinc ion (sphere) that grips key atoms of the structure and holds it all together.