In an incandescent light bulb the wire that gives off the light is called the Filament.
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You are thinking of a filament.
it is the coiled wire that heats up and gives off light in a incandescent (ordinary) light bulb.
An incandescent bulb has a filament that has a resistance. The value of the resistance determines the current that will flow for a given supply voltage. The heat generated by the current flowing through the filament gives off light. As the resistance of the filament decreases the current increases and you get more light.
If you are referring to a porcelain or plastic ceiling light fixture most do not have a place to connect the ground wire. You cannot ground these type fixtures. Just connect the ground wire to the mounting crossbar and forget about connecting it to the light itself. It is on the ceiling and will never be touched unless you change the bulb and then you will have the switch in the off position. It is perfectly safe.
To make a simple series circuit to light a bulb, the simplest components are a power source (such as a battery); a switch (to turn the power on or off); the bulb (obviously !); and some wires to connect everything together.