Used in the synthesis of temperature-responsive polymers, particularly in smart hydrogels that exhibit reversible swelling and deswelling with temperature changes. These hydrogels are applied in drug delivery systems, where release is triggered by body temperature variations. Also employed in tissue engineering scaffolds and biosensors due to its biocompatibility and stimuli-sensitive behavior. Commonly copolymerized with other monomers to fine-tune the thermal response for specific biomedical applications.