© Hermann Geissel 2004 - Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science - http://www.crsbooks.net

Table of Contents

Unit One:

SOME BASIC CHEMICAL CONCEPTS

I.	Elements and Compounds	1
II.	Atoms and Molecules	1
III.	Atomic Structure	1
IV.	Acids, bases and pH	2

Unit Two:

SOIL

I.

Origins of Soil

4

II.

Composition and Properties of Soil

9

III.

The National Soil Survey

15

IV.

Mineral Nutrients and Fertilisers

17

V.

Practical Work

26

Unit Three:

BIOLOGY BASICS

I.	Classification of Living Things	33
II.	Cell Structure and Division	38
III.	Heredity	42
IV.	Diffusion, Osmosis and Active Transport	47
V.	Respiration	49
VI.	Practical Work	51

Unit Four:

PLANTS / PLANT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

I.	The 'Plants that Used to Be'	54
II.	The Flowering Plant	57
III.	Photosynthesis	60
IV.	Food Storage and Vegetative Reproduction	61
V.	The Flower	64
VI.	Plant Hormones	66
VII.	Practical Work	68

Unit Five:

ANIMALS / ORGAN SYSTEMS OF THE ANIMAL BODY

I.	Life Cycles of some Invertebrates	74
II.	The Skeletal System	79
III.	The Breathing System	80
IV.	Food, Feeding and the Digestive System	81
V.	The Circulatory System	89
VI.	Growth and Development	91
VII.	The Excretory System	92
VIII.	The Nervous System	94
IX.	The Endocrine System	96
X.	The Reproductive System	97

XI.

Practical Work

99

Unit Six:

CROPS

I.	Grassland	105
II.	Potato	115
III.	Sugar Beet	120
IV.	Barley	124
V.	Practical Work	128

Unit Seven:

LIVESTOCK

I.	Cattle	131
II.	Beef Production	148
III.	Sheep	158
IV.	Pigs	170
V.	Practical Work	175

Unit Eight:

FARMING AND THE ENVIRONMENT

I.	Ecology	176
II.	Pollution	180
III.	Rural Environmental Protection Scheme	182
IV.	Organic Farming	185
V.	Practical Work	190

Appendix A:

STUDENT FARM PROJECT

Appendix B:

PLANNING A FARM HOUSE

Appendix C:

SOME LARGE BIOMOLECULES

I.	Glucose
II.	Disaccharide and polyaccharide
III.	Peptides
IV.	Amino Acid
V.	Triglyceride
VI.	Fatty Acids
VII.	Nucleotides in DNA

Appendix D:

KEY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF GRASSES

Appendix E:

KEY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF FIELD MONUMENTS