Crystals of salt grow and are highly organized. So should we consider them to be alive? No. The growth of crystals and the underlying organisation in the crystal lattice is a result of the chemical bonding and the coordination number of the ions present in the salt. This phenomenon can easily be distinguished with the growth of living organisms. Living organisms can reproduce and increase their numbers. They have a cocktail of chemical getting metabolised in the body. The crystal growth involves no such complex processes that give rise to an order in the organisation of the body.
