A simple and efficient method for the synthesis of lactose-based homopolymers from lactose O-(p-vinylbenzyl)oxime (4) is described. Free radical polymerization of the new oxime monomers proceeded smoothly in an aqueous solution using potassium persulfate (KPS) and N,N,N’N’-tetramethylethylene-diamine (TMEDA) as the initiating system and gave water-soluble homopolymers in good yields. These synthetic lactose-based polymers had high molecular weights and narrow polydispersities (M-w/M-n : 1.20-1.35) as determined by size exclusion chromatography, in conjunction with multiangle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS). The Mark-Houwink equation was obtained as [eta] = 2.15 x 10(-4)M(v)(0.73). When the monomer was copolymerized with the cross-linking reagent N,N’-methylenebis(acrylamide) (BisA) (16% mel), hydrogels were formed which swelled as much as 21-fold in deionized water. These gels have potential applications as biocompatible materials.