Iodine is one of seven elements that usually form as diatomic molecules. These other "diatomics" are and . They typically bond to themselves.
Iodine has seven valence electrons. Using valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory, we can predict the Lewis dot structure for . We see there are fourteen electrons, and we can make a covalent bond, leaving three lone pairs on each atom. The bond replaces two electrons, so the number of electrons shared is two.
The cell is the basic structural, functional and biological unit of all known living organisms. Cells are the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing, and are often called the "building blocks of life.