Thick cord of nerves that runs from the brain down through column vertebrae?

The correct answer is the spinal cord. The spinal cord is a long, thin, cylindrical bundle of nervous tissue that extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column. It is enclosed within the vertebral canal and is continuous with the brain at the foramen magnum. The spinal cord serves as the primary pathway for communication between the brain and the rest of the body, and it is responsible for controlling many reflexes and automatic functions.