Salt can be key to extraterrestrial life.

The salty oceans stay liquid at a lower temperature than water where is no salt. So salty oceans can offer a place where microscopic lifeforms can create. But there is also the possibility that the alien organisms can form in crystal water. Salt also involves sodium that can deliver energy. 

Also, sodium is an important component in mammals' neural systems, or rather saying sodium channels that are important for functions of neurons require sodium. So intelligent aliens require salt for their sodium channels if their neural system is similar to ours. 

So if the alien has a similar neural structure to humans or mammals. That means they also need sodium for their neural system. On Earth, mammals are taking sodium from the salt. Pure sodium reacts very fast and roughly with water. But if sodium is connected with chloride that thing forms the salt molecule that is not so dangerous. 

That crystal water can be in the pocket of the salt crystals. And there can form some kind of primitive organisms. But the salt can also create conditions where osmosis will transfer liquids between the cell and its environment. So maybe someday we will see the first alien organisms swimming in a salty ocean or crystal water on some distant world. 

https://www.bna.org.uk/mediacentre/news/the-role-of-sodium-channels/

https://scitechdaily.com/salt-might-be-the-key-to-extraterrestrial-life/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_channel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chloride

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osmosis

Image: https://scitechdaily.com/salt-might-be-the-key-to-extraterrestrial-life/

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