Microglia and perivascular macrophages, immuno competent cells in the vertebrate central nervous system, are assumed to remove cell debris following traumatic or neurodegenerative events. In the present study, we used scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy to study phagocytosis in the microglial cell line, BV - 2. Although monocyte derived cells, like microglia, express receptors for "eat me" signals, we asked whether a physical contact with an inert particle is sufficient to trigger phagocytosis in microglial cells. We found that BV - 2 cells attach to, engulf, and phagocytose fluorescent hydrophobic polystyrene microspheres with a diameter of 4 mm. Within one hour 28 % of BV - 2 cells contained at least one microsphere. However, some BV - 2 cells phagocytized up to 15 beads, which was accompanied by a dramatic volume increase. Time lapse video microscopy demonstrated that phagocytosis is completed within a few minutes. Thus, our experiments show that specific "eat me" signals are not required to trigger phagocytosis and, consequently, suggest that intact cells may express "don't eat me" signals to escape phagocytosis.