Air-Blood Barrier

This electron micrograph shows the three lays of the air-blood barrier across which gas exchange occurs. The type I pneumocyte is part of the simple squamous epithelium of the alveolus and the endothelial cell represents the capillary epithelium. The two cells share a fused basement membrane, which allows for the minimization of the barrier across which exchange must occur. Using this knowledge of the air-blood barrier, explain why a patient with pulmonary fibrosis would be hypoxic and hypercapnic.