Subject: What is the life span of a atom ?

                   As I understand it , when something decays , 
the energy stored in it leaves as heat .  Does the heat contain 
the atoms that made up the decaying item ?  What happens to the 
atoms , how does a single atom cease to exist and how long of
 life span ( if life span is a proper description ) can a atom 
expect ?  Could a single atom have been a structural part of 
more that one living entity during its life span ?
                                                   Thank you for 
your time and expertise .
                                                      Gerald 
Steede   gar@ipa.net

Re: What is the life span of a atom ?